Kung Fu Panda : a Whole New World
by winterarrow
Summary: A human accidentally gets stuck in a different world during a hiking trip, filled with anthropomorphic animals. Set on finding his way back home, Alexander Jenssen must survive and adapt in a world that seems vacant of humanity. But is that truly the case? Set between KFP and KFP2.
1. Chpt 1 - Arrival

_Kung Fu Panda and all its content belongs to Dreamworks. References and other mentioned names, products, brands and all other licenses belong to their respective owners. I only own my OC's. This story is purely written for entertainment and hobby purposes. English is not my native language and this is my first fanfic.  
Thank you for giving this read a chance, and I hope you'll enjoy reading this. _

_Summary : A human accidentally gets stuck in a different world during a trekking trip, filled with anthropomorphic animals. Set on finding his way back home, Alexander Jenssen must survive in a world that seems vacant of humanity. But is that truly the case? Set between KFP and KFP2._

* * *

**Kung Fu Panda : A Whole New World. **

**Chpt. 1 : Arrival. **

He opened his eyes. Blue sky with a couple of clouds in it was above him and he saw a pleasant, green lush forest around him, with a few rocky outcrops. Sometimes a small opening that looked like a grassy plain with flowers in it popped up. 'A very nice landscape' he thought. Something like southern Norway, although the vegetation didn't exactly look like the northern ones. Now that he got up, he saw a couple of the trees were acacia's and others were linden trees. Others, he didn't recognize which slightly worried him. Where on earth was he exactly? He saw no signs of life around him.

He had been on a hike, and his backpack and all his gear had come with him, something he was grateful enough for to utter some blessings in between the rapid stream of soft curses he muttered while trying to go over what the fuck had happened. 'What the fuck' was indeed one of the few reactions that he thought proper in a weird situation such as waking up on a seemingly different continent then the one you seemed to think you'd be on. The backpack was large and consisted mainly of high quality nylon in a camouflage print. In the back were some sturdy Kevlar panels to give shape to the whole thing. Strong stuff it was to, Kevlar. There was a reason it is used in the armors of modern special troops.

However, during said hike in Norway something had happened. His head still felt somewhat dazed and fuzzy while he tried to sort his memories. There had been some sort of landslide, a rock formation that he was climbing had started moving and cracking. His safety ropes had probably snapped under all the weight that had ripped them apart. He fell… yes that was it. He remembered falling in the fissure that seemed to have opened beneath him during the scene. Then everything had been black. He had most likely been hit with his head against a rock. How his head was not open and bloody was a mystery to him. He must have fallen at least a hundred feet, if not two hundred. By all common sense, he should be a bloody paste, crushed between some rocks right now.

But he was not. He was lying, with all his gear and those climbing ropes around him in a field. There was only one logical explanation, despite it seemingly impossible. He had, somehow, been transported to another place. Like through a portal or a wormhole. That, or he had been unconscious for a long while, and someone had brought and dropped him in an entirely different place, with all his gear and left him there. Not bloody likely. No one would do such a useless effort and action. The fact that a small scratch on his arm from yesterday was still the same only confirmed that not much time could have passed. Not for him, at least.

Then, he started sorting his priorities. Even if he started to theorize about wormholes and conspiracy theories, it wouldn't help him a single sod if he didn't start taking care of a the more practical stuff first.

"Well", he thought, "I've absolutely no idea where I am. I better start looking for a vantage point and some signs of civilization first".

He had been quick enough to understand that he probably was in a completely different part of the world than he was before due to the difference in air, smells and vegetation, as unsettling as it might have been. Being teleported doesn't exactly happen every day.

He started walking somewhat to the south since that slope went more and more upwards. What first seemed like a big hill revealed to evolve into a smaller mountain. Since he saw no signs of a trail and the parts became rockier with each passing minute he scanned to coming parts and always quickly formed an effective path that took him higher and higher. He watched very closely for more sorts of fauna and flora that could give him more information. He had spotted already four kinds of bamboo and saw jasmine too, which gave a clear sign that he was somewhere in the eastern regions. China? Vietnam? Thailand? It didn't look tropical enough to be Indonesia or anything in those parts, nor was the air humid enough.

The rocky parts took him higher and became misty. Now, the parts became very difficult, even for him, with experience in the outdoors. A lot of the time he was actively climbing now between the wild rocks. Not extremely difficult, but he feared that those rocks could quickly become solid vertical walls. He began climbing more sideways, trying to advance without having to go to much higher. He guessed he was roughly above five thousand feet now and the mist was annoying. Any of his gear with satellite based coördinates didn't do anything. He supposed they might be malfunctioning due to whatever warped him here. It made sense that a lot of seismic power could mess up his electronic equipment. Thank god his equipment was quality stuff and rarely based on electronics. For the world, he couldn't understand people who went hiking with all their tools and maps on their smartphone. Bloody idiots they were. His trusty compass wouldn't leave him alone, at least.

After another half hour of climbing he came at a small plateau, from where a relatively easy passage led downwards again. The mist was far less dense here and simply crept through the rocks as miniature clouds. Before him lay a big, green valley that was, in a lot of senses, beautiful. For a couple of minutes, Alexander simply looked in appreciation, letting it all sink in. It really was a perfect postcard set-up. "It probably wouldn't even need Photoshop afterwards" he mused while taking a quick picture with his smartphone. While the thing had, like Alexander started to expect by now, no signal whatsoever, it did still work properly. And with a miniature battery charger/generator based on solar energy he would be able to charge it again when necessary.

Then he started to observe the valley more carefully with his binoculars. His eyes were keen, but he couldn't exactly see details from a couple of miles away. He wasn't some damned Legolas, nor could he see any hobbits being taken. He saw traces of various villages not lying very far from each other. Several rice paddies were visible too on one of the opposite mountain flanks, and they were repeated on other places. A lot of the ground however seemed to be partly controlled wild nature with various hills or bigger rocky outcrops, most of the time covered in forest, both dense and lush.

Something caught his eye as he moved his gaze upwards and he saw parts of a palace of sorts, and small parts of the stairs leading up to it. Alex assumed it was a temple of sorts, but since he had not seen any signs of modern civilization he began to worry and doubt. Maybe he was not just transported to another place on earth. Maybe he was no longer in his time too. After all, he saw no signs of pollution, modern roads, electricity poles or anything. He now really focused his sight on several of the villages, and the houses seemed to very traditional. It diminished the chance that this was just a very poor village lying near a temple for tourists. A place that kept traditional because it was simply more cut-off from the rest of the world? It was possible, but it would also mean there was no notable city around for at least hundreds of miles, nor anything worth to modern society nearby…

He looked around for a moment and then realized that is was relatively quiet. No birds were singing. Come to think of it, he hadn't heard a single normal bird since he was here. No sounds of hundreds of avians or insects that desperately tried to get laid or fed. Only the easy and soft sounds of the winds through the grass and the trees. And the sound of water. Water! Always a good direction. Since he could not see any sign of a human or any similar strong-blooded creature nearby, like a mammal bigger than a mouse, he decided to continue and walk or climb down. In the villages he could certainly get some answers, couldn't he?

He walked and jumped downwards into the valley for another couple of miles until he froze his tracks at what he saw. A road. Not a modern one, rather a broad path. Alexander stepped forward on the side of the road and bent his knees to study some tracks. What he saw confused him.

Several animal prints were through each other, but he recognized paw-prints from both felines and dog-likes. Also, several kinds of hooves, things that looked like pigs, sheep or even antelopes. Geese were also here, apparently. Most of them were not very surprising, except maybe the paw prints. However, he saw nothing that resembled a human foot. There were shoeprints, but those forms and sizes had nothing to do with humans. Was this a path for cattle? But it didn't look like that, then the path wouldn't have such a variation of tracks… He didn't knew what to make of.

There he stood, pondering and thinking, until something suddenly caught his attention : loud, noisy talking and a cart being pulled. He couldn't hear what they were talking about, but he thought he had recognized English.

Praying that he was at least not wrong about the language he stepped backwards, set his backpack behind a thick bush of bamboo, looked around for a moment, and then quickly jumped against tree, upwards, and pushed himself away with his foot to gain more height and turned around in the air to grab a branch from the tree next to it. Pulling himself up, and climbing another three meters higher he positioned himself into a good hiding place while maintaining a good view on the road. Those people could be here any second.

The voices were apparently talking about some trade taxes on export of various clothes and materials that had recently changed. There was also talk of certain 'dragon warrior and the furious five'. "Doesn't sound much like a modern title" he thought. "But many Asian cultures have dragons in them, it makes sense with my earlier suspicions".

Now the figures came up and Alexander looked very curiously. He cautiously peered through the thick leaves. He was lucky he had chosen a very broad and stable spot in the tree, because he almost fell out of it when he saw the scene unfolding and could realize what actually was going on. He couldn't see any of the humans he had expected to see. He could see four pigs and two goats. There were three small carts being pulled. But they weren't just any pigs. They walked on their hind legs. Their hind legs. ON TWO LEGS. They were simply walking like bipedal creatures as if it was nothing, like it was completely normal.

Also, Alexander's second realization made him feel far worse. The pigs and goats had been the ones talking. They were the humans, the people, the intelligent life in this world. It also gave a sort of confirmation that he was no longer on earth. Not HIS earth anyways. It was a lot to take in.

He waited until the herbivores were gone and climbed down from his tree, picking up his backpack and moving roughly towards the village he had seen, but keeping a good distance with the road.

"Humans", as he thought, "must have a very different role here. Either they are non-existent here, or they are in the role of animals. A bit like 'planet of the apes'. Whatever the case, I can better avoid drawing too much attention until I know more". Then suddenly it hit him. It reminded him of an animation film he had seen a couple of years ago when he was babysitting some kids. The movie Kung Fu Panda. Animals that talk and are bipedal. Ancient China. Dragon Warrior. Furious Five. Shit.

He was in this 'valley of peace', in the world of an animation movie. He hadn't really watched a lot back then, he had been busy trying to keep those two kids from destroying the house in their battle with toy dinosaurs. Of course, this was now a reality, not some childish movie where blood doesn't exist. Who knows what differences here were, but at least it gave him a rough idea. No humans. Great.

Alexander stepped quickly without really looking where he went straight into the thicker bushes, distracted by many thoughts and doubts. If anyone saw him the consequences could be severe, to say the least. They might freak out seeing him, being a weird human after all. Better not to take any chances.

After walking at a very quick pace for almost an hour he halted, forcing himself to observe more around him and decide his next movements. He could use a rest. He had not had one since he arrived and was still tired from the whole thing. He looked around not seeing anything except wilderness. He appeared to be in a part of the valley where no one lived or came regularly, since the ground was covered with a lot of obstacles, trees were closely to each other with wild rocks placed between them.

Then, suddenly, his eyes fell upon a straighter rock wall from the mountain, because at its bottom, almost hidden by the bushes and other rocks, there was a small waterfall with a rather large opening behind it.

"A cave?" he murmured, wondering. "this could prove interesting. I do need water".

He slumped towards the spot. A stream that must have had a spring somewhere higher upon the mountainside had waterfall coming from higher in the rock, landing in a broad and calm pool. The pool seemed to be the size of a decent enough swimming pool, before going down in a smaller stream that seemed to run down wild and happy. The water was very clear, showing a few underwater plants. He estimated it would just be a little too deep for him to keep standing in the middle.

The rocks around hid most of the pool from direct sight. The main waterfall came from about twenty-five feet higher, and several small streams from the rock joined it. The stone was interesting, looking very dark at some points. He couldn't identify the kind of it. Not that the density of the rock really mattered now, anyway. After refilling his water sack and bottles, his attention was caught by the cave's entrance. Being roughly ten feet broad and seven high, it was a perfect opening for a man.

Inside it was not as dark as he had expected. It was way larger than the opening had made it seem. It was probably slightly larger than the pool outside. With some rays of light that creeped playfully through the cracks it almost seemed like a hall. There did not appear to be any deeper opening after this, save for one on the side that lead upwards. Good thing too, Alexander didn't fancy staying in a dark creepy lair of something. Who knew what kind of craziness existed in this world?

He putted down his backpack and sat down on a rock, his back resting against the wall. And like that, completely drained and exhausted from everything, his eyes rolled back and his eyelids closed. Everything washed over him. The weird teleportation, the waking up in a different world, the realization that no human was near and that he was completely and utterly alone. God, he had never felt so alone in his life.

He had handled the realizations and everything cool and logical today, using his head rather than run around and panic, but no one could keep that up forever, and he was no exception. He wasn't a machine. What had happened to him? Why had it happened? How would he go home?His sister probably didn't even know it yet, that her brother, one of her only remaining close family members had vanished from the earth. Perhaps forever. His eyes were stinging.

It was too much and his emotions and mind simply overloaded. His exhaustion simply caused him to lean back, his body went limp and he fell into a deep sleep.

* * *

_Introduction chapter. Don't worry, the known characters will start to appear next chapter, but it might take a while before they take the expected prominent role. Some more OC's will come in. Also, it's been highly edited since my first go at it, if you still see parts that don't make sense, please mention it and I'll try to sort it out._

_Next chapter is in editing phase, should be up soon. Uploads can take a while and/or be irregular.  
Again, thank you for reading, and please leave a review. _


	2. Chpt 2 - Caves and Fires

_Kung Fu Panda and all its content belongs to Dreamworks. References and other mentioned names, products, brands and all other licenses belong to their respective owners. I only own my OC's. This story is purely written for entertainment and hobby purposes. English is not my native language.  
Thank you for giving this read a chance, and I hope you'll enjoy reading this. _

_Summary : A human accidentally gets stuck in a different world during a trekking trip, filled with anthropomorphic animals. Set on finding his way back home, Alexander Jenssen must survive in a world that seems vacant of humanity. But is that truly the case? Set between KFP and KFP2._

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**Kung Fu Panda : A Whole New World. **

**Chapter 2 : Caves and fires. **

Next morning, he woke up by light shining in his face. He had fallen asleep on the entrance of a cave, and sunrays where merciless towards his desire for sleep. Then he noticed that he didn't know how he got in a cave. He had to stand up and take a few minutes to realize where he was. Then it all came flooding back. In order to create some structure and logic in the chaos that ravaged his mind at the moment, he tried to sum it all up.

"Okay, so I was hiking in Norway, on my way to see my sister. While I was climbing a mountain, a rock slide happened and I fell into a deep fissure that opened in the process. Somehow, I woke up in ancient China, and in a different world or dimension where humanity has a different role or more likely, doesn't exist at all but is filled instead with anthropomorphic animals. And to top it all off, the world has uncanny similarities to a fictional movie" he said out loud, to no one in particular but solely to hear it himself.

He quickly noted this down in his smartphone, grateful for the invention of touchscreens. He loved them. Made typing so much easier on a larger model and it spared him the weight and place of a tablet or laptop. He felt a bit easier now that he had his situation in a small text. At least it gave his logical side something to work with, and it would make sure his feelings of panic and helplessness were reduced. Not until he knew everything and had some answers.

"Alright, now ask the basic questions. What, when, where, how, why." He grumbled when he couldn't really make a good plan on his smartphone, and proceeded by a pen and paper on a writing pad of his.

"I've just noted down what happened, where can be answered by China, probably central China by the looks of the vegetation as in opposition to my last known location, 110 miles north of Oslo, Norway."

When? It was June when he was hiking, and it seemed to be somewhat summer like around here, so for the sake of convenience he momentarily assumed it was roughly the same time of the year. Which year that was, was a totally different question however. He hadn't seen modernity. Now he understood chances were high it was not a lack of contact with the modern cities, but more likely that this world was a couple of centuries behind in terms of technology. Would make sense, since it is _"ancient" _China, no?

How created a bigger question, mainly because there was absolutely nothing present to give him something to work with. He'd have to let that question slide for now. Wormhole, portal, energy lapse, inter-dimensional gateway, or for fuck's sake, magic? No time for those theories now, he'd work on them when he had time and securities. Why was a mystery as well, since 'falling from a rock' wasn't an answer that could satisfy him. It was probably linked with the how anyway.

Now that he at least had worked out some things, he felt comfortable enough for breakfast and making other plans without freaking out. While boiling some filtered water to clean it from bacteria (he couldn't be too careful) he thought for logical steps to continue.

Obviously, he needed to find some way back. If it worked one way, chances are it worked backwards too. However, he had spent enough time yesterday to know that such a gateway was not where he had landed. He had stumbled around too much not to encounter it. So that left an immediate return cut off, at least with his knowledge. So he would have to make contact, and hope he might find someone, a scholar or something that might know more about this matter, maybe point him in the right direction.

He'd only find a sign of those in the village, so with nothing else to do, he hid most of his gear in the cave. He decided to put on some more natural woven clothes in neutral color, no sense in not being precautious or give them reason to make him stand out. With a small backpack with some emergency gear in, and a hunting knife hidden on the inside of his belt he took off towards the village, talking himself some courage in that they would be friendly. It was an animation universe right? The hero was a noodle-cooking panda, it was friendly. It would be all right.

Three hours later he arrived at his cave again, panting, cut and bruised. He thought things would be alright. He had been grievously mistaken. He cursed his foolishness for simply assuming things would be nice and easy and momentarily forgetting his history lessons. He was in a twisted version of the past goddammit, how could he not have anticipated that the villagers that saw him would scream in fright and call the guards and start throwing stones at him?

People would always fear what was different and could be a potential threat. So honestly, how could he have expected some two feet tall geese or three feet tall pigs to happily greet him without question when a six feet tall, pale, hairless stranger with long limbs and weird clothes and gear suddenly pops up and moves towards them? Honestly, he was lucky his logic decided to at least not completely desert him when he had to make a run from those guards that appeared, weapons ready. Rhino guards, and other that often were as big as him, if not bigger. He had led them on a false trail and then taken off in a different direction, not allowing himself too stop until he was back at his cave.

No, no trips to any village for Alexander Jenssen in the nearby future. Besides, he just realized with dread, if someone found out he possessed futuristic knowledge, he would no doubt be captured and exploited, forced to teach them what he knew, and it could potentially lead in a new era of destruction, weapons, tactics and god knows what else. He knew how to make a bomb, basics of guns and cannons and so much more… This had suddenly become much bigger than him. Or at least, the depressing possibilities had.

For now he would thus stick to his cave. He could find out information by eavesdropping people at roads, getting to know his surroundings, mapping out parts of the valley, searching for food, setting up his tent in the cave, creating emergency stuff, checking and using his gear and supplies and lots more. He smiled just a little. Yes, for the days and time being he could keep himself busy enough so he wouldn't go mad. Travelling around in his current situation wouldn't do him any good.

If anything, he would just have to place his trust in his unnatural sixth sense. That was one thing, at least that would be safe here.

* * *

_Oslo, Norway. _

Sarah Jenssen, a young blonde woman in her twenties sat behind her desk in her late parent's house, working on a thesis for her master. But she was distracted. Her younger brother, who had taken tot travelling and isolation for the last two years had disappeared once more. He had done it before. The thing that bothered her, was that he had not disappeared as usual. As usual as disappearing can be. He had several times just travelled towards an uncommon destination, usually a poor land or a country in turmoil to volunteer in helping victims in camps, favelas and other uncommon places.

She smiled at the thought of him. No matter what, she would always see her little brother, who had done amazingly stupid things just to cheer someone up, or told a principal to sod off, when he was helping someone. He was intelligent, unpredictable and empathic. Where she had all the prizes, glory and fame someone her age could get through hard work, he was never really interested in all that.

Their parents had always thought them from young age that they should do something useful with their lives, that made theirs and others better. That they could be proud of their results and of the person they had become. She had responded by becoming one of the youngest master-scientists in the world, following the footsteps of her parents, who had spent their lives on researching medicine. While still being an expert in economy and politics. No wonder the faculty loved her.

He on the other hand, was more practical and wanted to _do_ something. He couldn't stand aside if help was needed. It brought him in trouble more times than she could count, but it was just his nature. Perhaps the only predictable thing about him. And she was proud of him for it. He was not even allowed to drink in the U.S.A., and he had already saved or improved more lives than 98% of the population. How could she _not_ be proud of someone like that?

But he had disappeared. He was on his way here, to Oslo, to see her. After all, he had promised her, and he wasn't someone to lightly break such a promise of being together as siblings for a time again. They may have been vastly different, but she was very sure that they could understand each other near perfectly.

She thought of the options. A big rockslide had been reported around the place he should have been, but he was an experienced hiker, unlike herself. The chance for him to get stuck in something like that was very small. And they would have found him already by now anyway. The other option was a lot more fearful. Mom and dad had been working on a medicine that could've revolutionized a lot of things. And an awful amount of money had been involved. And she was one of the only two persons on earth that knew how exactly her brother had been changed by an accident with an incomplete test-version of it.

He had gained a sixth sense. He could, very much like sharks in water, sense life around him. Big life-forms gave of small amounts of electricity by their heartbeats, movements and the like. Everything actually existed under a very low current field. While not exactly the same, the effect were similar to her brother. In areas around, he could 'sense' were other persons were. He could sense other creatures like hunting game as well. How it had happened was still a complete mystery for her.

But it was soon evident that it was not completely secret. And many organizations, corporations and even the bloody CIA had all but demanded of him he gave exclusively them his blood for 'examination of further uses'. Translation : they wanted money, power, and more variations of that.

Her little brother being the unpredictable, calculating goofball that he was responded by taking the first flight to Afghanistan with the message that they were welcome to come and search for him. Oh, and she might have redirected those parties off his back a bit by sending them the South America by falsifying flight tickets in the database and erasing the original. They couldn't do anything, since their actions were anything but legal anyway. But it had forced him to become an unknown, constantly travelling out of fear of being taken and exploited by the authorities. His last two years had been a combination of volunteering work, hiking through the wilderness ad studying on his own accord. And she couldn't even work on a cure to get rid of it for him, because her lab was under surveillance!

She became more convinced with each passing minute that something bad had happened. That he might be, somehow, lost to her. Indeed, she had a feeling as if he was further away from her than ever before…

A single tear escaped her eye when she looked at the picture on her desk of a handsome young guy during a family reunion, celebrating his eighteenth birthday. His dark blonde hair, his baby-blue eyes, that stupid lovable grin that refused to go down while she looked stern, reserved and almost cold next to him.

"Please, Alexander, be alright. Please. I miss my little brother…" her voice cracked a bit while whispering the photograph.

She gave a quick kiss on it and placed it back on her desk, next to that Balinese mask he had sent her once. She quickly saved her progress and shoved the rest of her thesis aside. She was not some weak girl that would spend her time praying. She would take action and find out who or what had taken her brother from her, for she was now utterly convinced he was not merely delayed. She would find out, no matter the cost. And there would be hell to pay.

* * *

_A Month Later. _ –

When Alexander woke up, he noticed it was utterly dark. Bit creepy, if you wake up in cave without being able to see even the slightest thing. His watch, softly glowing in the dark, told him it was 4 o'clock in the morning. It wouldn't be light for another hour or two. He slowly sat straight and stood up. He grimaced, noticing how stiff his body was.

"I shouldn't have gone to sleep without a blanket or anything, I'm such an idiot" He muttered.

He touched the walls, finding his backpack in its familiar place. Taking out a small bit of food for breakfast, a flashlight and some small candles that were waterproof he closed his bag in again checking the usual stuff. He looked around, satisfied that apparently nothing had entered the cave or seen him. His small boobytrap, made of a few threads, attached to a small object was still in place. If someone triggered it, the smallest movement could outbalance the entire thing and a loud noise would follow. Simple, but effective.

Taking his food, he forced himself up and stepped outside. Once outside, he took a few deep breaths, letting the smell of the surrounding forest fill him. It felt refreshing. He sat down on a somewhat comfortable rock and began to eat. Chewing on some energy bars he saw the sky beginning to get a faintly less dark color on one side of the mountain-range. Finishing his breakfast, he quickly did some push-ups and jumping jacks to warm his muscles and loosen them up. When he went to the pool to refresh himself a bit, something caught his eye.

An orange flicker. He also thought to hear something, like a small explosion far away. Unable to see anything clear through the trees he ran inside his cave and climbed up, through the side-hole, up to a small plateau with a good sight on a large part of the valley. And there, not even very far away from him, maybe 2 miles, was something clearly bright orange. There was no discussion what it was. It was evident that it was fire.

The question was _what_ it was that was burning. He estimated it was just outside one of the villages, and he couldn't really confirm since it was too dark to use his binoculars. It could be a pire for some reason. It could be a feast. It could be a house burning. It could be an attack. Or an accident. He went down again, trying to convince himself it was better to stay away from it. Alexander took out a small backpack, putted on a sturdy hooded cloak and damned his curiosity to the seven pits of hell.

* * *

Up in the jade palace, high above the rest of the valley, Grandmaster Shifu was already awake. Slightly earlier than usual too. He always had trouble sleeping when his students were away. They were on missions. Monkey, Mantis and Po were in Gongmeng city to help masters Croc and Storming Ox to help regulate things, keep watch over stuff and train with some of the students that were in the local academy for two weeks.

Po hadn't had that much experience outside the valley. He needed to learn more about his place and duties as a master and Dragon Warrior. He thought back for a few moments to the day Po fought Tai Lung and the moment in which everything seemed to be lost. And that panda somehow managed to save them all using a hold he learned by himself through imitation, on the first attempt, after a couple of days of basic training, were Tai Lung did not after all those years and even he, the great master Shifu had needed years to learn it. Typical.

Viper and Crane were helping outer villages that had been raided far too often lately. He knew they had a relationship. Honestly, he was surprised to managed to keep it a secret from him for several months. But then again, Viper was subtle, and crane was very private person. It didn't bother him anymore. They were masters, adults, and good souls. It didn't interrupt with their training either. So he simply mentioned that it was no longer important to keep it a secret from him, as long as it didn't complicate things. And he trusted them completely on their mission. The fact that they happened to be in love wouldn't interrupt , they were the two more responsible among his six students. Not like the other three guys. At least those would not get into too much trouble with their immaturity in the city with other masters present.

And then there was Tigress. His prime student. No, he reminded himself, his daughter. She was still here in the palace. Sometimes, in mornings like these, he wondered what he would have done different as a father towards her if he could raise her again. If he had been more loving, caring, or affectionate would she be happier now? If he hadn't always pushed her so hard, never saying a kind word beyond "not bad" or "correct", would she be so hard and apparently cold right now?

Sure, she had mastered Fung Fu like no one else. Not even him. He was pretty sure if it ever came to life or death he would not be able to defeat Tigress. The only one who could have was his other child. The one that had caused so much destruction and violence.

But not his daughter. She was hard and sharp, like a diamond. Slightly violent or temperamental, yes. Not unlike himself sometimes. Oh, he was proud of her. At least as proud as he had been about Tai Lung once. But how could he possibly tell her? She didn't care anymore for those things, the words would not mean anything. He had failed her too, in a way.

Kung Fu was effectively her life. He never thought he would have thought it, but he was saddened by the thought that she had so little besides that in her life. She liked to draw or paint, yes. But where she once enjoyed it as a child, over the years it only became more practical to draw out enemies, fighting stances, plans, records, and anatomy about where to hurt the opponent the most. And he was pretty sure she was still very fond of her flute that Oogway had given her once, just like he had once given him his flute. Teaching her how to play it was perhaps the only other thing besides Kung Fu he had ever really thought or showed her.

"No", Shifu thought a bit bitter, "trying to change that now would not solve anything, it could only lead her to hate me. It wouldn't make a difference. It would be meaningless and it wouldn't help her in anyway."

But next sunday, or at least when the five and Po were back and they had their day off he would try to encourage her to go with them, he decided. Maybe she _can_ have some fun with them. Afterwards, she can decide for herself if she would spend her Sundays training alone, or maybe become a bit more social. After all, since Po was here, she and the others had opened up more, not to say anything about himself…

He kept pondering as he walked up towards his favorite spot next to the peach tree of heavenly wisdom. He noticed the darkness of the night was beginning to lessen. Daybreak was not far away. Beneath him stretched the entire valley which in such moment, in the earliest of times in the morning, often showed the perfect peace he so desired. Nothing stirred in the dark contours of the villages, the forests, the rice paddies and irrigation systems, the river… All was dark if not for the soft light shades the big, silver moon produced above them.

What he enjoyed the most in moments like these was the silence. Nothing but a few rustling leaves, the soft tones of the wind, playing with the surroundings. During the day, he could even hear the village from this spot. Only the Hall of Warriors or his Cave granted him a silence that was good enough for his meditation. Sure, having such perfect hearing with his sort of massive ears had its perks, but it could give him quite a headache as well. But now, there was only…

"**KABOOM!" **

Shifu jumped up, his muscles instantly tensed in a defensive stance. No, it was not from here. Where did that explosion-like sound come from? After a quick check around him, he looked over the palace and the valley once more. He did not have to look for long. After all, a burning house _does_ stand out in a dark night. Before he was thinking he was already sprinting towards the barracks. He ran in, slammed Tigress' door open and saw the tiger jump up in a stance just like him. She was a light sleeper, and could even from the depths of sleep simply jump up in a stance and defend herself.

"Tigress! There is a house, or maybe several burning! We are needed!"

Tigress' eyes widened while she dropped her stance, and quickly followed her master out. Outside she was still behind her master, who had the advantage of his lightning-quick speed and jumps through the courtyard and towards the gate. Once through the gate however, she did not need to go down the steps and ask if there might be a building on fire. It was a bright, big spot a bit outside the main village.

Dropping on all fours, she began to race towards it, leaving her master behind her. She arrived very quickly and saw that a lot of people where already outside the building. Her eyes searched the crowd and she spotted the mayor, the elephant.

She jumped towards him and asked him "Are there still people inside?"

The elephant answered slightly panicked "No. I've been told everyone got out in time."

"Good", answered Tigress.

"Then we need to focus on bringing water and lowering the fires soon. Right now no one can enter anyway. The fire is far too big and wild inside" ordered Shifu beside her.

How he always managed to suddenly appear was something she'd probably never understand, even if she knew the technique behind it.

The elephant would not go against Shifu's orders, even if he had dared it. No one initially even noticed the stranger that had entered the scene. Tigress backed away from the inferno that took place before her. The intense heat drove everybody back. Really, there wasn't much anyone could do right now except making sure the fire didn't spread. The house could not possible be saved, and no one was inside anymore.

Tigress turned around and saw a stranger, of which she was certain she had never seen before, stand a few meters away from here, slightly apart from the crowd. He had his eyes closed and a concentrated look on his face. Who was this? Or rather, _what_ was this? Then he gasped and his face turned to a look of horror.

When he saw Tigress, who had begun moving towards him in case he knew something, he walked over to her and yelled "There are still people inside!".

The tiger instantly became suspicious and answered coolly "no, everyone already got out."

The stranger seemed confused for a moment and had the same, concentrated look on his face once more.

"No, there are two persons still inside! One on the first floor, another one on the second!"

"Even if that was true, there is nothing we can do about that right now. Anyone who enters would die from the fire and smoke before he or she could hope to reach the first floor, let alone return! Also, I have some questions for you, stranger" in a tone that allowed no room for arguments while her eyes blazed a little.

Or it could just have been the inferno on the background.

Alexander couldn't believe his ears. Was it really so difficult to help people and try to do a good thing? Well, despite what this female tiger, who happened to be an angry unreasonable bitch in his opinion, may think, he wasn't about to have the knowledge of people who were about to be burned alive and sit around.

Tigress couldn't believe this stranger in front of her. While most persons already shat their pants when they met her glare, he took off his backpack, gave her an incredulous look, and muttered something like "bloody unreasonable idiot" under his breath. With that, he pulled up the hood of a white, stiff cape and ran in the burning house before she could do anything to stop him besides yelling "NO!".

The thick fire and the black smoke instantly consumed him. Tigress didn't jump after him, instead standing there a little bit shocked. How could any sane person just run into such a wild fire? Maybe the people inside were like him and hiding? Tigress wanted to turn around when a white shape jumped over a burning pole. The stranger had returned and walked quickly over to her. He seemed dirty and the white cloak had some darker spots on it now. In his arms he held a small sheep.

"Bring her to a doctor immediately. She needs water and a look at the burns on her back. She has most likely trouble breathing due to the smoke so check that too." Tigress understood that the child's health was more urgent than her own questions. They could wait. The stranger took off his shirt, put it in a bucket with water and bound it for his mouth.

"Master Shifu, over here!" she shouted towards her master, who wasn't far off. Shifu ran over and saw his daughter having a small sheep in her arms. The sheep's wool was singed and filthy. Had this child still been in the fire?

"Tigress, what happened? Was this child still inside? Did you get it out?"

"No master, she was still in the building but it was this stranger who…", she gestured to the figure besides her, only to realize he was already running into the flames once more.

"Who is that Tigress? Why did he just jump into an inferno?"

"I don't know master, he simply showed up, said that there were still two persons inside. When I told him what the mayor told us, he put on a white cloak and ran in before I could stop him. He came out twenty seconds later with this sheep" she said quickly while handing the sheep to a nearby healer.

Shifu bit back a curse. "That blasted elephant. Why didn't he check better?" he said angry.

Tigress wanted to agree, but her words were cut off when the part around the door collapsed. Whoever that strange figure was, he was now trapped in a building that was on fire and that could completely collapse any moment. The two masters didn't need to voice their thoughts out loud when they looked with grim faces for any signs. They both knew he was doomed.

Meanwhile, Alexander cursed himself and his inability to keep to his own business once more profoundly. His improvised cloak, made from fireproof sheet, had allowed him to move through the flames without much danger. The ashes that rained down on him could not harm him. But he had almost wished that tiger had stopped him. It was a burning hot hell inside of flames and smoke.

"I have to move quickly or I have no chance at all, this thing can come down any second. And even if I'm not crushed or burned alive, the smoke will do the job. Second floor, now!" he thought.

Racing up the stairs, he was halfway when a loud series of cracking and crushing noises told him everything was coming down. Instinctively he hold his arms above his head and ducked to prevent getting ripped apart by flying debris. Honestly, this stiff piece of sail-like cloth held it largely. Without it, he would not even have reached that sheep.

Jumping on the small pieces of the larger wooden ribs he managed, by using whatever he could find to get a grip on, to slowly get himself upwards. It was at least 3 meters of pure climbing where he would have little opportunity for getting both a solid piece beneath his feet and his hands.

Panic began to slip inside him. And it only increased when the remaining pieces of the stairs behind him caved in. There was no way back, he was shut off. Behind him and front and right there was only fire and darkness, produced by the black smoke that was now so thick it began to have more of a solid volume than a gas now.

The wet shirt bound on his face prevented him from getting smoke in, but it didn't change the fact that there was very little oxygen left. And it made breathing difficult. He breathed a few times, deep in and out while holding his mouth close to a gap in the wall for air, noting to himself that he sounded a bit like Darth Vader. He concentrated once more, and upon feeling the presence of a heart, beating frantically, but alive, he took his decision.

He stood up and began to scale the wall to his left in the only remaining way : Up. Step for step, little by little, he made his way upwards. Until finally, he managed to crawl and pull himself up the top floor. Where was the child? The room was dark, flames were already dancing in it too. There was no escape. He looked behind and under the bed, containers and the like.

Outside Shifu's and Tigress' expressions had gone more and more grim. Especially since two scared wolf parents ran towards them, desperate for news. Their daughter, Xia, had been in the house for a sleep-over with her friends and was still missing. Shifu tried to explain the situation quickly, that a stranger was inside the house, convinced there was still someone else inside, but that apart from this they knew not much more. With this, the mother sank to her knees crying, while the father instantly rushed towards the house only to be stopped by Tigress.

"There is nothing you can do now. You are only going to get yourself killed. The building is going to come down any moment now." She said firmly. The wolf still struggled. She knew him. He was Feng, and a very liked fellow. He lived a bit apart in the valley, but was a talented smith and wood-carver. He had helped her out with analyzing weapons and the like in the rare case she needed help.

"Feng, your wife needs you. You would be consumed by the flames once you entered. All the lower parts have come down."

Feng stopped struggling, and embraced his wife with tears rolling down his face. She looked aside, feeling out of place and went back to her place aside her master. Tigress did not dare to have hope that whoever it was inside that hell could bring Xia out when another front part of the building came down, showing that everything inside was practically blown apart.

"WHERE ARE YOU? I'M HERE TO GET YOU OUT!" Alexander shouted in a desperate attempt to sound louder than the consuming fires.

He was about to give in when he heard a stumble against wood. He turned towards the sound and understood it. The closet. The only place that would still seem safe towards a child, to lock itself in. Everything to flee from the sight of the nearing danger. Out of sight, out of mind. He slowly walked over, put his hand on the handle, hesitated and opened it. Inside, he found a wolf cub crying, barely noticing him. When he moved to pick her up she screamed in fear. He quickly pulled his hand back and lowered himself, taking off his hood partly.

"Shhhh, calm down child. I'm here to help you. I'm here to get you out. I know you're afraid, but there is little time. The building is burning and we have to try to get out as soon as possible."

The cub looked shocked, with her eyes wide open, red and swollen.

"What are you? I've never seen someone like you before. Are you a monster? I want my mama and baba!"

Alexander sighed. He had somewhat expected this. He moved up his hands and showed them to the cub, palms open in an attempt to show he was unarmed.  
"you do not have to fear me, kid. I know I look different than most here, but I simply come from a place far away from here. That's why you have never seen me before. But I swear I mean you no harm. Like I said, I'm here to help you. I sensed you in this burning building, and I could not leave you to your fate. I promise I will get you out of here, back to your mom and dad. But I cannot do that without your help. You have to trust me, only for a few moments, then it will be over."

The wolf cub was obviously still doubting. Alexander was beginning to panic inside. This was taking too long. He desperately tried something else.

"Listen, my name is Alexander, but you can call me Alex. Most of my friends do. What's your name?"  
This seemed to have changed something inside the cub.

"Xia" was the quiet answer.

"Well, Xia, it is nice to meet you, I wish it could be in a nicer moment. Do you want to get out of here, Xia? Do you want to go back to your parents?"

"Yes!"

"Good", Alex said relieved. At least that part seemed a bit over. He didn't have this problem with the small sheep. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that the sheep had been unconscious.

"Then take my hand, Xia, and let's get out of here", moving his open hand slowly towards here, but not in a grabbing motion. The cub had to trust him, or they would never get out of here.  
Luckily, Xia began to understand that the stranger in front of her was her only chance of getting back to her parents. She had no choice. Alone, she would die in here. With him, the long stranger, she had a chance. So she laid her paw in his hand and he pulled her up.

"Now listen closely Xia, it is going to be difficult to get out because the stairs are already gone. I will have to climb on the roof and get low enough somehow to jump. But I need my both hands for that. You will have to hold on to my back. Whatever happens, you must NOT let go. Use your claws if you have to. Whatever works. Got it?"

The little wolf nodded, her brown eyes wide. Alexander lifted her up and let her grab herself around his neck and back in a somewhat comfortable pose.

"And stay beneath the white cloak. It will protect you from fire and ashes and splinters. Stay under it, and you'll be safe. Okay?"

That seemed to comfort the girl. To have confirmation that something that she could hide beneath would protect her.

"Okay, Alex".

With that Alexander began to look around in fear. Around him, there was only fire. He had ignored his surroundings too long while calming Xia down and it would most likely cost him his only chance at an escape now. He looked around frantically, not seeing any way out. Except maybe…

he picked up the small chair, and threw it as hard as he could against a burning point in the ceiling. The parts around it came crumbling down. Moving the table beneath the new opening he used it to climb through and pull himself up. Now that he was on the roof, he had a chance. He had lowered his shirt from his face while talking with the girl so he quickly moved it in place.

Not that it mattered that much anymore. The fire was everywhere. He needed to get off now, but he would not be able to roll trough to ease his landing with Xia on his back. Suddenly, he felt his balance leaving him. The building was truly coming down. More than that, it was falling. They were falling. He gave a pull on his cape, took Xia firmly in his arms in front of him and jumped with a scream as far forward as he could. At the very same moment, the foundations gave up and went down in a massive ball of flames.

* * *

_Dirty cliffhanger to end with, I know. But I couldn't resist. Also, quite a long chapter, but it did make things quite a bit more interesting. _

_Next chapter is halfway done.  
Again, thank you for reading, and please leave a review. _


	3. Chpt 3 - Mysteries and Escapades

_Kung Fu Panda and all its content belongs to Dreamworks. References and other mentioned names, products, brands and all other licenses belong to their respective owners. I only own my OC's. This story is purely written for entertainment and hobby purposes. English is not my native language.  
Thank you for giving this read a chance, and I hope you'll enjoy reading this. _

_Summary : A human accidentally gets stuck in a different world during a trekking trip, filled with anthropomorphic animals. Set on finding his way back home, Alexander Jenssen must survive in a world that seems vacant of humanity. But is that truly the case? Set between KFP and KFP2._

_I finished this as quickly as I could, because last chapter was a dirty cliffhanger that I couldn't resist. _

* * *

**Kung Fu Panda : A Whole New World. **

**Chapter 3 : Mysteries and escapades. **

Tigress was the first one to spot it. The building in front of them was truly coming down but something vaguely white had appeared on the roof. The figure hesitated for a few moments, unsure what to do. "Too long", she thought. Then, when he began to lose his balance he took something from his back and held it in front of him, covered by his cloak and his arms. Feng had seen it too, as had Shifu. The moment he jumped, everything seemed to explode. When they looked again, only a pile of rubble with some small flames remained.

Then something in the bushes in front of it moved. Something crawled it. A young wolf cub, wrapped loosely in a large, stiff, filthy, white cloak.

"XIA!" Feng shouted, running towards his little girl and almost crushing her when he hold her in his arms again. Tears rolled once more, from relief and happiness this time.

"Baba?" came a weak response.

"Yes, yes, Baba is here". Fengs wife had arrived too and barely got to hug them when a healer arrived to check on Xia. Against all odds, she seemed to be fine. She had a couple of bruises on her sides and her breathing would be difficult for some time due to the smoke, but apart from that she appeared to be unharmed.

"This truly is a miracle" the healer, a goat said amazed. "I don't understand how she possibly came out alive, let alone unharmed!"

"Alex saved me. He promised he would help me and get us out, and that I would see mama and baba again. He told me to not go from under his cape. That the cape would protect me from the fire and ashes and splinters." The small voice led everyone surprised.

"Alex? Is that what the stranger is called who saved you? The one who was wearing this white cloak?" Shifu asked quickly.

"I think so. He said I could call him Alex, because his friends call him that too."

"Where is he? I need to thank him! He saved my daughter's life!" Feng said turning towards the rubble with the others.

Tigress had already been busy searching for this stranger. There were many things at work here. Strange things. She hated not knowing, to be in the dark and having to guess when things when not in control. Who was he? What was he? Why was he here? And how did a complete stranger manage not only know that there were two children inside, where they were, and got them out unharmed too? Especially knowing very well that she could not have done that. Maybe the sheep if she had known. But she would never have survived the fire and heat before she got Xia.

She kept turning rubble over when, when she turned over a large wooden floor-part, she froze for a moment. She picked up a white, wet piece of cloth she had seen him put before his mouth. To help against the smoke, she reasoned. She turned around and gave it to her master.

Shifu first looked surprised and stern, like he wanted to demand why she stopped searching, but his expression turned sad, and his ears lowered. He spread the cloth so that Feng and Tigress could see it too. It used to be white, with some sort of abstract drawing or decoration in blue on it. A lot of it was grey or even black from the fire, and it was very damaged. However, there was another color, a dark red, present in something that, unlike the blue was not a pattern. There was a lot of red. Feng lowered his head. There was no question what the red was. If the only thing they could find of him was a bloody piece of cloth…

Tigress didn't just let it with that, she moved back to the rubble site, and searched further, but she couldn't find another trace. It was not she first time she saw someone die in an awful way. But most of the times those were bandits, criminals and the like. To see someone die like this, a complete stranger who without much hesitation gave his life to save children from a burning hell, that was something different. Those people are very rare. She wondered why he did it. Did he know them? No, that clearly wasn't the case.

So why? Was he a criminal who had had enough of that life, and desperately wanted redemption? Was he a hero? An gentle soul like Po who rushed in without thinking and did the right thing without having the panda's luck? A phantom of sorts? Or was he still something else entirely? After all, she didn't even know _what _he was. He walked straight up and when he pulled off his shirt she had seen that he had no fur, or very little except on top of his head. His hood had prevented a good look.

"Tigress?" came the voice of Master Shifu.

She turned around and asked, "yes, master?".

"There is nothing we can do here now, I'm afraid. Let's head back to the palace. I need to meditate on this, and I will visit Feng and Xia later to get more answers."

"Yes, master."

They turned away, noticing that most people had already left the place. The day was beginning, and it would be a busy day. What a way to begin a day. But then Tigress stopped.

"Master, stop!"

"What is it, Tigress?"

"His bag! He was wearing a grey backpack and threw it on the ground before he went inside. It will give is some answers."

"Where?" Shifu asked, his tone curious and a bit hopeful. Tigress walked a bit back over the grass.

"It is right he…". Shifu was over there fast. Tigress stood before a small rock, her brow furrowed.

"I don't understand master, it was right here."

"Are you saying that someone took it?"

"It must have. But I don't understand why!"

"There is more happening here."

"But what master? Was it a set-up? Do you believe the stranger had anything to do with the fire?"

"I don't know. But search around, maybe we'll find a clue to who took the bag".

They both began to search around, searching for tracks or anything, but the grass did not show much tracks. Nothing clear anyway. But Tigress wasn't just a peasant. She was extremely cunning Kung Fu master, and a tiger too. Her senses were perfected. She could still smell the unfamiliar scent of the grey bag on the rock, and there had been movement in the grass. She was certain of that. And in the loose, wet dirt she found what she was looking for. Tracks. Fresh ones.

"Master, over here!" She yelled. She didn't recognize those tracks. They didn't look anything like sandals, and where not in any shape she was used too. Shifu studied them for a moment and then seemed to realize something.

"Tigress, did you by any accident notice what kind of shoes this stranger was wearing?"

"Some sort of strange boots Master, why?

"I looked a bit ahead of you and found something else." With this, Shifu showed his hand. In it, he held a few green leaves that had a bit of red on them. Blood.

"Master, are you saying that the stranger is still alive? That's impossible!"

"Nothing is impossible" said Shifu, quoting his old master.

"But.."

"Tigress, it should also have been impossible for this Xia to survive. And it should certainly have been impossible for someone to get both children out of that hell, unharmed. Not to mention that his cloak seems to be unable to burn and protect from heat, if I understand it correctly. If he has such a strange bag, and a cloak of such a strange material, would it truly be impossible for him to survive?"

"I understand master. I assumed he couldn't have survived because he got separated from this protective cloak."

"So did I. But what was he actually Tigress?"

"I… don't know master. He was an animal I have never seen before, from the little I could see."

"I see. I want you to follow him, to find him, and try to convince him to come to the Jade Palace Tigress. He is wounded, so offering your help with that should ease it. I do not want you to use any force. Who- or whatever he is, he did save the lives of two children today. I would like answers, but he has his rights to privacy and we are in no position to disrespect those."

* * *

Meanwhile Alex was running, all the while thinking he was a lucky bastard. He had managed to not only survive this whole thing, he had saved two children. During his jump with Xia he had thrown the girl forward, into a bush that would soften the landing. She would most likely not leave without a broken bone here and there or some cuts and bruises but it was better than dying together. Then he had quickly grabbed the table that had thrown out when he jumped. Keeping that table behind him had saved him from the flames during the explosion behind him. He had landed a bit hard on his feet but managed to roll through, lessening the impact. Something he could not have done with a small wolf on his back. The table had rebounded on the ground and placed itself perfectly on top of him. That small and extremely durable table managed to save him from almost all the rubble that would've hurt him. He did wound his arm and it bled quite a bit. His shirt had been used to stop the bleeding. When Xia came out, everyone immediately stormed towards her. No one noticed him taking his backpack and leaving. Although it had been close with that Tiger. Seriously, paranoia itself might become jealous in comparison.

Only then he suddenly realized that he had just crossed the famous Master Tigress.

"It must've been her. She was commanding with authority, and she is the only permanent tiger in the valley. And her temper and suspicion are almost legendary…". Wow. WOW. He had just shown the famous Master Tigress, who was practically revered by fans in the valley (and the rest of China from what he overheard), wrong. He had done her job for her, sort of.

The second feeling that came over him was a feeling of dread and fear. He doubted that humiliating this Tigress in such a way was a good thing. Calling her a bloody idiot probably wouldn't help either…  
He kept running at a steady speed. No doubt they would have questions about him and as soon as the little girl started talking they would know his name, and more.

Soon he arrived at a river he crossed earlier. Unlike then, he took a different approach this time. Instead of just crossing the river, he started wading through the river. On the other side it was very shallow and didn't slow him down much. Even when going against the stream, uphill. After going about 200 meters through the water he got out and jogged further towards his cave, slower this time. The small trick would hopefully work and buy him a lot of time. In the water he could not have left tracks or smell. And the rushing sound of the water had hushed the sounds of his splashing. Whoever was tracking him would have a bit of a problem unless they possessed senses far better than earth's animals.

* * *

Ten minutes later he was proven right, although he didn't knew it at that time. Tigress had been able to follow his tracks and scent easily enough. She was slowed down because of the unknown factor of the scent, but no one could mask the smell of blood. She hoped he wasn't too wounded.

"Probably not, otherwise he would have collapsed by now, or he would have treated his wounds" she thought. The tracks, certainly later on were not difficult either. He did not seemed to bother to hide them anymore. His shoes or boots seemed to have a strange sort of grip on the underside, she noted. "Smart idea, actually. It must give him a lot more security and balance in muddy underground or difficult terrain than mere sandals."

She soon arrived at a small river. The tracks led straight towards it, seemed to hesitate a moment and then went into the shallow path through it. Tigress smiled a bit inwards. She was closing in, she knew it. These tracks were very fresh. She would get her answers soon.

When she crossed the small river however, her inward smile disappeared. She wanted to follow the tracks. The only problem was, there weren't any to follow. She looked around, in the mud, sand and grass. This was ground in which hiding tracks was difficult, but there truly seemed nothing to follow! Desperately she smelled the air, inhaling it almost – no, not a single hint of the smell around.

"How is this possible! He is bleeding, he can't just disappear into thin air! He is a creature of flesh and blood, not a ghost!" she grumbled frustrated. She began to search the river banks for a while and then the path backwards for anything she might have missed, somehow already feeling it would be hopeless. Hours later, she went back to the palace.

* * *

At the Jade Palace, Shifu stood for his own mysteries as well. This cloak seemed, after a few tests, indeed unable to burn. Holding it straight against a flame from the cooking panel barely left a trace. Whatever fire had left those burn marks must have been like hell. What material was this thing made from? He began to wonder even more when it seemed to hold water perfectly. Not even a bit of moisture on the other side. It seems to be coated in a protective layer, probably adding to its stiffness. Yet it wasn't really much heavier than others sturdy clothes or anything. But how?  
He also noticed some fold marks, and after a few attempts at getting the pattern, it was remarkably small. Easy to transport.

And the other cloth that was almost drenched in filth, sweat, and blood was strange as well. The material was woven in a way he was unfamiliar with. Especially because it was so thin and fine.  
Shifu kept pondering on this strange thing. After a while, he could only think of a few options, all relatively unlikely. He should wait until Tigress was back.

His eyes shot open. Or he could maybe already visit Feng. Both Shifu and Tigress knew him well enough, surely his daughter, Xia, could provide some more answers?  
With that he put the cloak somewhere in his room, in a cabinet and left the palace to pay the wolf a visit.

* * *

"So you really have no idea, at all, who it was that saved you?" Feng asked his daughter.

"No baba, I told everything I know. He looked a bit like a hairless monkey, I think. But taller and no tail, baba."

Shifu sighed. He didn't have much more answers. He wished he could ask his master for counsel. But Oogway had never answered something straight to the point anyway. And Feng was less of a help then he'd hoped. The wolf still stood there with a goofy smile plastered on his face, just happy that his daughter came out unharmed. Suddenly it dropped a bit.

"No matter how happy I am my Xia is still alive, I do feel a bit guilty about this 'Alex's'' fate. I owe him practically a lifedebt." He lowered his head a bit. "And now I'll never be able to do something in return…" he murmured.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that."

He looked up. "What do you mean, Shifu?"

"He might not be."

"Not what?"

"Dead."

"I'm afraid I don't follow Grandmaster Shifu. We both saw the blooded cloth. And you confirmed that it was the cloak Xia wore that must have protected him so far."

Shifu sighed again. "My student and I found a track that lead away from the scene. He left some bloodmarks on this track, that smelled the same as the blood on the cloth. Also, the one who created that track took his bag with him, that he had dropped before he entered the flames."

"So he's alive !" Feng said loudly, his grin reaching even further than before.

"It looks like it. Master Tigress is looking for him, because he is still wounded."

"Well, when you find him, please tell me. I _must_ thank him and repay this debt somehow!"

"I thought wolves didn't have the concept of a life-debt?" shifu asked, curious.

Feng scowled a bit. "That's because wolves normally stick to a pack and the entire pack is one family. And we do not owe such debts to family. But to an outsider, the whole pack would be in debt. Since I am not part of a pack I think I do owe him such a thing" he explained like it was the most normal thing in the world.

"I see. I must return to the palace, Tigress will no doubt already be back with him, or news. It's been several hours." He gave a nod, and left.

* * *

Both Master and student found each other in the hall. And Shifu was surprised, to say the least.

"What do you mean, he vanished?" Shifu asked, his tone slightly louder.

"His trail did Master. I could follow it very clearly until he crossed a stream. On the other side, there was not a hint of tracks or smell. The banks downwards were completely clear of any signs. I followed the tracks several times back and forth but there was nowhere even a hint of another direction. And the stream was too shallow too swim or have a boat waiting."

Shifu was truly a bit clueless. This 'Alex' was something that they didn't know, he had a mysterious cloak that was utterly resistant to many elements, he had saved a child from a burning building, and evaded and escaped the master of the Tiger style. Not his usual mystery to solve.

"Then maybe it is best if we just leave this matter alone for now, Tigress. After all we are a bit in the dark here. This 'Alex' did a good thing and saved an two innocent lives that would otherwise have been lost. If he puts so much effort in staying anonymous, then maybe we should just let him be for now."

"But master! He is a creature we have no experience with and he's roaming free in the valley! Who knows what he could do! People who hide themselves from us rarely have good intentions. It could be a plot to make us trust him in which he shall attempt to harm us unexpectedly and I shall…

"TIGRESS!" Shifu shouted, anger clear in his voice. Tigress was taken a bit back by this ostentative display of anger.

"Most criminals don't risk their lives to save children from burning buildings. Especially not if they had something to do with it. And if it was an attempt to gain trust so he could take us out unexpected, he would have stayed around for thanks, trust, or trying to get a return favor. He didn't."

Tigress' form had slumped a bit down, gazing to the ground, somewhat ashamed. Shifu's voice had returned to something softer, calming.

"I understand your concern, Tigress, and I don't like prying in the dark either. But we mustn't let ourselves be controlled by paranoia simply because we don't know something. Otherwise we should interrogate every single villager. Let's for now focus on training again and leave the matter alone. If you encounter him again, you can try to bring him here."

Tigress nodded, bowed and went to the training hall.

"Maybe master Shifu is right", she thought. "After all, he did risk his life to save children. And he might prefer to be alone because his differences. There is still more to him than he displayed, but then again, he's something we've never seen. Maybe I'm jumping to quick to conclusions because I couldn't find him."

With that, she tried to put the matter out of her mind and resumed her training.

* * *

Alexander had reached his cave without any further fuss. He didn't bother hiding tracks anymore or tried to take strange routes. If that Tigress got past the trick he pulled earlier nothing else would help anyway. Besides, he was way too tired. The pain in his arm had increased too and by now he felt like his arm was on fire. He plumped his bum on the ground and got his first aid kit. Disinfecting the cut that, thank his lucky stars, wasn't very deep. Putting some cooling cream on it, and wrapping some bandages around it filled him with relief. After checking and treating other small burns on his body he went outside to sit down with a very light meal and made a small fire to cook some water and make tea.

Once again, he blessed his luck within his unlucky situation. He might have stranded in a completely strange world, at least he didn't get here without camping and trekking supplies to last weeks. But he had to face it none-the-less : his supplies were diminishing. He still had food for a week, maybe more if he rationed it very carefully and found more plants to add. Outside of Gingko leaves he hadn't found much edible plants or berries. And hunting wasn't an option. Fishing was, but there weren't that many places to catch fish nearby. Yes, the river nearby held fish and there was a larger lake on the border where he went swimming sometimes, but still…

There was only one solution. He had to find friendly contact and try to trade or work for something. He did not want to resort to stealing his food, not in the least because it would bring more attention to him. So far, he hadn't actually done anything wrong, and he desired to keep it that way.

His other option was trying to go to the jade palace.

The villagers saw him as a freak, threat, monster and whatnot. He knew that by now. They'd never seen something like him, and he was taller than most creatures he had encountered. Wolves, leopards, cats and the likes were comparable in height, but rarely taller. Rhino's where the only ones that were definitely bigger. However, the majority existed out of geese, sheep, pigs, antelope and the likes. And those he had already encountered had shit their more-often-than-not lacking pants. He had tried several times again by now, in the month that he was here. The last time he tried to approach a caravan the pigs had thrown stones at him. Not exactly the warmest invitation, he mused wryly.

Frankly, he had survived so far because he had had a couple of encounters with bandits. Crocodile bandits with the collective IQ of a rock, that is. Who knew that you could so easily scare people with a flashlight beneath your face, and some intimidation? Fortunate as it was, it scared the living hell out of those on guard duty, and he had simply taken some of their spare stuff. By the time the rest woke up, he was already long gone. And he had won himself gear, a sword, food and some useful trinkets. Was stealing from thieves illegal here? He didn't bother worrying himself, that was pointless.

The other option, the jade palace was not easy either. Maybe the five would not see him as a threat and use their brains to at least give him more information on what to do in his unique situation. If they did not use their heads, it could result in him being killed.  
He might have a couple of years of kickboxing and fencing under the belt, be in a strong condition by spending two years in harsh climates and have a sixth sense that could warn him about a great deal of situations but he wasn't an idiot. He had spent his last two weeks observing and learning from a distance with his binoculars. The five and even the panda where completely out of his league. Sure, he had had his conflicts with bandits by now, but there was a world of difference. Besides, he was only used to fighting humans.

The analytic approach told him that Shifu, Mantis, Viper and to a certain extent Monkey where at a huge advantage due to their smaller size. And the last one had his tail as a fifth limb. Crane could fly. The Panda was too… well, massive for standard tactics, but he could at least outrun him. Tigress was frankly the only one in similar posture, the only one that he would have an _idea_ on how to handle if it came to a fight. And she happened to be the most skilled, paranoid, intelligent, ferocious and aggressive out of all those fighters. Wonderful.

Po would not instantly attack him. He was too gentle and open for that. However, speaking with him alone was practically impossible. Besides, he would instantly run with Alexander to the palace, and they might not be so accepting.

Then it hit him. He needed a wolf. Not just any wolf. He needed to find the family of the cub that he had saved. Their child, Xia could recognize him and thus trust him. Which would maybe make the parents help me. After all, most monsters or enemies don't save cubs from burning buildings, do they?  
It was time to put a use to the social training he had gone through by accompanying his parents from young age to dinners, meetings and the likes. Time for some convincing that he wasn't dangerous or hostile at all and create some form of trust, while not giving to much information away. He couldn't plunge in by exclaiming he came from a different world or dimension! Half-truths was probably the best way to go in this one. Animals would with their refined senses no doubt be able to pick up his unconscious body language better. Not lying, but simply leaving out parts would solve that. He'd just have to be careful with what information he gave away.

Satisfied that he had a possible solution for now, he allowed himself some rest after rearming his traps.

* * *

_Next chapter is halfway done as well, after that one, I expect progress will be slower.  
Again, thank you for reading, and please leave a review. _


	4. Chpt 4 - Of Wolves and Men

_Kung Fu Panda and all its content belongs to Dreamworks. References and other mentioned names, products, brands and all other licenses belong to their respective owners. I only own my OC's. This story is purely written for entertainment and hobby purposes. English is not my native language.  
Thank you for giving this read a chance, and I hope you'll enjoy reading this. _

_Summary : A human accidentally gets stuck in a different world during a trekking trip, filled with anthropomorphic animals. Set on finding his way back home, Alexander Jenssen must survive in a world that seems vacant of humanity. But is that truly the case? Set between KFP and KFP2._

* * *

**Kung Fu Panda : A Whole New World. **

**Chapter 4 : Of wolves and Men.**

Feng stood before the pile of rubble that used to be a house thinking about the strange events. Was his daughter's savior really alive and well? Did he not need to feel guilty? Or was it false hope and was he really lying underneath all those remnants, digested by the fire? He stood there for an hour, while the evening fell. Under a nice breeze in the pleasant summer's night he walked home. He did not notice a strange figure following him carefully.

Feng saw his house, standing alone, surrounded by his large workshop and the forest on the other side. A small trail lead towards it. Inside was a warm, inviting light. He couldn't help but smile knowing his daughter and his wife were in there, waiting for him. However, before he could get closer, he was hit by a small stone against his shoulder. He turned to his right, towards the darkness of the forest.

"Psst." A voice said.

"Who are you?" Feng said, trying to mask the fact that he was a bit nervous. He couldn't see anything in the dark bushes before him. His hand slid towards the knife on his belt.

"Relax, I just want to talk with you, in private. I mean you no harm." It was not a dangerous or threatening voice, just carefully kept neutral. Feng relaxed only a little.

"Well, why don't you come out of those bushes then?" he asked, slightly growling.

"I may look… different. Please don't shout or attack me because of it, okay?" The voice sounded a bit hesitant.

"I won't attack anyone unless you give me reason to. Now come out if you want to continue this, I want to see who I'm talking with!"

The bushes rustled and a tall figure stepped out of it. At least as tall as Feng, if not taller.  
"Are you the father of Xia?" the figure asked. He stood a bit away and more than his cloaked posture was difficult to see.

"Yes. Why?" Feng asked with a surprised voice. Could this figure be…

"My name is Alexander or Alex. She may have mentioned me to you." With this 'Alex' stepped forward into the light and revealed his face.

Feng gasped. "You're the one that saved my daughter!" he exclaimed loudly. He looked at the face before him. This Alex was indeed unlike anyone he had ever seen. Tall and straight posture but leaner than most, bipedal, hands like a monkey, little or no fur, a bit of a flat face with a long straight nose. His dark clothes were unfamiliar to him, with tight, long pants, a shirt, some vest over it and a hood to hide his head.

"Yes, I am. And it was very close for both my and her life. How is she?"

"She is fine. Has some bruises and her fur is a little singed here and there, but she'll be up and running around in no time."

"That's good to hear." Alex sighed, seemingly relieved.

"And it's good to see you alright as well! For most of the day, I and others feared you had lost your life by selflessly saving others!" Feng said happily. "But here you are, and not even a scratch on you! You truly are a lucky guy, whatever you are to get out of that inferno without any damage!"

"Not completely unharmed. My left arm bled quite a bit…" Alex muttered.

"Of course, the blood, I had forgotten! Please follow me inside, then you can sit down and we can talk further comfortably. It's the very least I should do!" and before Alex could sputter something Feng lead him further and inside.

It was a rather nice home, Alexander remarked himself. Sturdy, warm, mostly made out of wood. With a nice, spacy common room and kitchen, a fireplace with cozy chairs and small table next to it. Some bedrooms on the first floor. A place that simple breathed 'home'.

"Feng?" a woman's voice sounded from the kitchen.

"Kara, come here and say hello!" Feng said, finally letting go of Alex who winced a bit with his arm.

Kara, a female wolf and about 8 inches shorter than Feng appeared and froze, looking at her grinning husband first and then at the strange man that stood next to him, a bit awkwardly.

"Kara, this is Alex. He is the one who saved our Xia."

She looked dumbstruck for a moment, and then broadly smiled.  
"Well then, I suppose we owe you our thanks and gratitude. Please make yourself at home, would you like something to drink?"

"Maybe later, for now I'm fine, thank you". Kara nodded but looked a bit strange suddenly when she smelled something.

"Might I ask why it is that you're bleeding?"

"It's nothing major, just a cut I received earlier this morning that must have reopened when I was dragged inside" Alex answered. Feng did drag him inside on his painful arm after all.

"FENG! YOU DID WHAT!" Kara glared at her husband.

"I forgot he was bleeding, honestly, I'm sorry!" Feng responded quickly with his hands apologetic in front of him, diminishing beneath his wife's glare.

"Oh use your nose and brain a bit decent next time!" "Now please sit down dear, I'll look after it in a moment."  
Alex wanted to say it wasn't necessary but a quick pleading look from Feng made him shut up.

After Kara changed the bandages and everything, everyone sat down at the table and talked a bit until they both looked at Alex for answers.

"Well, to put it simply, I'm stranded here, in this valley or place and I do not really know where I am, nor how I got here. I come from a very different place and I do not know where it lies compared to here. I've been here for almost a month now and I'm still not much closer to finding a solution to my problem of getting home. So far I've lived alone, and fortunately, I did not land here without supplies. However, my supplies are running out, mainly food will be a problem soon."

Alex sighed. "I would like your advice on what to do, because I'm a bit lost here. I don't really know what course of action to take, as I'm not familiar with your laws, culture and everything else. I don't know how long I will be stuck in this place. And so far, every time I tried to get into contact with the village it ended negatively".

Both wolves just tried to take it in for the next minutes.

"Well, I don't really know how we can help you. Food won't be a problem, we'd happily help with that. Besides, we owe you that and much more."

"I've told you that you don't owe me anything, since my people do not have the concept of a life-debt. I went in there of my own choice. I'd be grateful for any help or advice you are willing to give, but I do not want to burden you, nor become too dependent on you." Alex returned.

"Well, about your mysteries, I'd say you best go to the jade palace and try to speak with Grandmaster Shifu. He certainly wants to see you and to find answers about 'Xia's savior' as well."

"I feared you would say that. However, won't they see me as a threat, simply because I look different? And I can defend myself from ignorant villagers or the average bandits who think so, but not against trained Kung Fu masters! And now that we're on the subject, who was the tiger that was present early this morning?"

"That was Master Tigress."

"As I feared…"

"What did you do?" Feng asked with a grin slowly forming.

"I may or may not have insulted her when she was slowing me down. Her glare of death indicated that she did look forward to rip me to shreds. Which was one of the reasons I fled the scene when I did."

"Ha! Can't blame you for fleeing from that." Feng laughed his barking laugh.

"How about this : in return for food or an option to supplies I'll work for you? I have a bit of experience with both metal and wood. And I could learn in the meantime and decide what to do further." Alex asked.

"Oh no Alex, you really don't have to work in return for food, really, we'd gladly help you!" Kara said with a laugh.

"I know, but I'd feel bad if I wouldn't do anything in return. Besides, I could learn more, it would give me something to do and I'd have company instead of sitting alone, without having to confront other mistrusting people."

"Well, one of my assistants left a few months ago so I could use a bit help. How about two or three days a week for half pay then?" Feng asked. "I could also help you train with several weapons if you'd like", his eyes directing towards the small sword Alex had carried. "I'm no Kung Fu Master, but even the five agree I'm pretty good at using what I make."

"That would be great, yes. I'm familiar with some martial arts and with swordplay too, but more practice can never hurt. Especially not seeing as I've come into contact with far more bandits than I would've liked last month."

Alex stood up, a small smile on his lips, glad things had worked out for the best for once. He guessed all the animals here truly did resemble humans, including the bad sides. After all, if a large talking unknown being entered his world, would most not simply try to get away from it too? People always mistrust or fear that which they don't know or understand. But there was the occasional kind soul. That soul was, in this case, called Feng or Kara.

"Wait, are you leaving already?" Kara asked when he made movements to stand up.

"I think it is better I go back to my place and retire yes, it is becoming quite late. I'll visit tomorrow or the day after again."

"But…, where DID you live so far? You've been here for weeks know but you obviously did not stay in the village. Where did you sleep so far?"

"Caves can be remarkably comfortable." He said, with a lopsided grin.

Both Feng's and Cara's mouth hit the table as their eyes went wide.  
"You seriously live in a cave? Please, you don't have to anymore, we have a spare bedroom, it would be no trouble for you to sleep there!" Kara said quickly while Feng just nodded. Alex smiled. These people were generous as they were kind.

"While I appreciate the offer, it is truly unnecessary for now. I've made some basic furniture already and it isn't too cold or anything. Besides, I like the privacy and rest there." Alex assured them.

"I might come back on your offer if it turns autumn and it becomes too cold out there though." He added as an afterthought. He somehow doubted the cave would be as comfortable if it was covered in ice. With that, he shook their paws, thanked them again and left back to his cave.

Inside the house, Feng and Kara discussed further what just happened.

"I can't believe that HE is the strange monster some of the villagers spoke about." Kara said, affronted. "He was polite, humble and saved Xia… We owe him a life-debt and he seemed troubled to really ask anything in return. He even insisted on working on return! Why?"

"The working part is not so difficult to grasp, darlin'. He has a sense of pride that he wants to keep intact. He doesn't want us take pity on him. He obviously hates the feeling of owing someone something. He wants to stand on his own, and not be dependent on others. Especially not people that he doesn't know or trust. Remember how I was when I arrived in the valley?"

Kara smiled at the memory of a goofy wolf almost breaking his neck by trying to climb in her window when they were dating instead of coming through the front door because he thought the window was more 'romantic'. Feng had always been so stubborn. Unlike her, he didn't hail from the valley and he came here relatively alone. It had worn off a bit the last year with the birth of their children.

"I understand Feng, but still… it was strange. It's really difficult to place him. He did not yet seem to really trust us either, but that's understandable given what horrible things have been said to him by the villagers. He seemed so young and old at the same time."

"He has seen or experienced things that have changed him. Bad things. I.. I could see it, in his eyes. I've seen that look before. He hides it well, but there's a weariness in them. He has seen death. He has suffered."

This was not something that she had expected to hear from her normally cheery husband. And she knew him well enough to know he was utterly serious about this when she saw his grim look.

"Feng, do… do you believe he has lost much? Or do you believe that he has done wrongs? That he can be d-.. dangerous?"

"Kara, he was wearing a sword. And I'm pretty sure that he had more things hidden on him and that he can use that sword. Never mind the fact he can survive inferno's and bandits. But no, I believe him when he says he means no harm. And his past is none of our business."

The last sentence came out a little harder and sharper. He detested the meddlesome judging part of some of the villagers. If they knew about his past, no doubt they would start to generalize him and make him a social outcast, no matter if those same people now liked him. _Sometimes, people deserve second chances._ He had sunken in his own thoughts and was only pulled out when he felt his wife's arms around him.

"Hey, don't let it drag you down. All that stuff is long ago and doesn't matter now. I just can't help but worry about him for some reason."

Feng couldn't keep from laughing his barking laugh.  
"Leave it to you to care and worry about a completely unknown guy who occasionally jumps into fiery buildings, meddles with bandits and can perfectly take care of himself." He shouted snickering.

"Oh you idiot" she exclaimed while giving him a playful slap on his head. "It's a mother thing. You wouldn't understand."

"I hope not, this really isn't the right moment in my life to start doubting my gender." he replied.

"Men…" she muttered. Then she remember something she wanted to ask him. "Feng, dear, are you going to tell Masters Tigress or Shifu?" she asked, a bit unsure.

"I'm not going to lie to them, but I'm not about to tell them myself either. Alex seems to prefer his privacy and deems it safer. Can't really blame him for that, nor break that bit of trust. So unless they ask me directly, they won't hear it from me. You?"

"The same I guess." They stood there enjoying the warmth of the fireplace together for a while longer. "How about we call it a day and go to bed sweetheart?"

"I was hoping you'd say that." Feng blew out the candles and lowered the fire and then followed his wife upstairs.

* * *

Alexander returned without much trouble to his cave again. He wasn't a person for heat and frankly, he found the days to be too hot. He had adapted his sleeping schedule in a couple of shorter rests, rather than just sleeping through the entire night or day. He took extended siestas and other rests when it suited him, sometimes in the sun to gain a bit of vitamin D. In the night and early mornings, the valley was pretty much deserted! He could go for walks and even carefully map out the villages if he was a bit careful. Or take a relaxing stroll along the small paths that lead through the rice paddies without having to constantly watch his back. It was an amount of rest he never realized until the possibility for it was so limited.

Even now, instead of keeping to the thick forest he could keep a low profile with his cloak on and he wouldn't have to worry. It all came down to psychology really. Or rather, how you displayed yourself. He walked in a straight, confident pose. Walking at a steady pace but keeping it relaxed. It was a trick he learned long ago. Walk somewhere as if you know what you're doing and no one will bat an eye. He casually nodded to a couple of pigs sitting on a bench at the roadside, who were talking a bit about their days on the fields, and returned their evening greet. He couldn't fight of a smirk. He could only imagine their reactions if they knew the 'flat-faced demon' had just wished them a pleasant evening.

An hour or two later in his cave, he felt more relaxed than he had for the past month. Things weren't alright, not by a long shot. But he had solved his problem of food, had two kind adults who saw him as a somewhat normal person that he could finally talk to, had something to do and had a possibility of learning more or retrieving information.

Not a small part of him saw the fact that he had now someone to speak to as his greatest achievement of the day. He had been alone for over a month now. Utterly alone, without a single human of even being for that matter that saw him as a somewhat decent creature. Never mind the burden of the knowledge he still held no fucking clue to what had exactly happened to him, or how to return. It had been driving him up the walls. Only now he realized how much he had craved even for a bit of social contact. Yup, this was definitely good for his sanity.

Really, he wasn't in a mood for sleeping now that he was a positive mood for a change! And he wouldn't waste that mood on doing some bring stuff that needed doing. No, he wanted to do something that would not be very doable during his usual brooding times. He began searching for his books. He might have been an experienced hiker and traveler that perfectly knew what he should and shouldn't take with him, he always had been stubborn on certain departments. If he was honest with himself he knew it balanced between a streak of vanity and guilty pleasure to take certain -unnecessary- things with him, extra weight and space be damned. One of those things were a few backs. Heaven knows they had saved his sanity multiple times over by now. As a great Tolkien fan he never went anywhere without his paperback (hardcover was too heavy and large) copies of 'the Hobbit', 'The Lord of the Rings' and 'the Silmarillion'. Still the same ones he had received for his eight birthday. It had been a gift from Sarah.

Sarah.

His sister. He was instantly brought into the harsh reality of his desolate situation once more, separated from his family. He opened 'the Hobbit' with a shaking hand to read a few lines that were written in it on a blank page in a neat script :

"_To my little brother,  
who happens to celebrate the day he came intruding upon the serenity and sanity of my life to destroy it mercilessly ever since. _

_I recommend you start with this thin one. Even for a hyperactive dunderhead as you, this should be manageable to complete. Maybe these will even raise your non-existent sense for culture up to a socially acceptable level, though I highly doubt it. Or you might take up reading, but that might send your brain into heat-danger from too much activity._

_Happy Birthday, Alexander! _

_Love,  
Sarah Jenssen, your big sister that can't get rid of you." _

Up in his cave on the mountainside, the receiver of the gift smiled at the memory. Twelve years and he could still remember his giddiness when he learned some new insults. His sister had always managed to treat sarcasm and insults as if they were an art and he was no exception to her rule of including it in her every-day conversations.  
His interpretation of raising the cultural bar ultimately ended up in him imitating a goblin for over a month. Honestly, what had she expected otherwise of eight-year-old him? As a compromise, he _had _taken up reading since.

Then, his eyes sprung open : he knew what he had to do. He fervently went searching between a few books, notepads, a sketchbook and a small box with a collection of postcards (proof of where he'd been) until -finally!- he found what he was looking for in the form of his diary.

Why had he forgotten it? How was it possible that with all the recent events he hadn't written in his journal for over a month? The reason he was reminded of it was that the vast majority of his entries were directed at the very person he'd been thinking about. He couldn't call her, and mailing wasn't much of an option either. So for the last two years, he had written down what he wanted to tell her in letters in the little book. It was another of her gifts. One that he intended to return to her one day, filled.

He opened it and reread some of his latest entries. Then he took his pen, and began to write on the creamy paper.

"_Dear Sarah,_

_Sorry for not writing you for almost a month. But if I claim weird stuff has happened to me lately, it would the understatement of the millennium. Weirder than usual, anyway._

_I was actually on my way to see you, down in Oslo. However, I was climbing to check a view a bit north of the smaller Geiranger fjord -you'd remember the place, we went there for holidays in the summer of 2004- when something happened. That 'something' happened to be a massive rock slide. It brought forth a fissure in the earth and I, being the idiot that I am, fell of course in said fissure. Yes, you can lecture me for it later. I'll blame it on the utter lack of good fortune in my life._

_Anyhow, I evidently didn't die, even if I should have by all means. I woke up in a green field close to a picturesque valley, relatively unharmed. The catch is that the valley is in China, and most likely it isn't even __our__ China. From what I've been able to gather, I am stranded in a different world of dimension, in a version of ancient China filled with anthropomorphic animals and a complete lack of anything human. There are also uncanny resemblances to the animation movie Kung Fu Panda. _

_Unfortunately, the world isn't as kind and dreamy as the movie suggests. Hatred, bigotry and fear based on the unknown aren't characteristics to be solely attributed to humanity anymore. Almost all my attempts at contact have ended in me being chased out as a monster, or a wild animal. Interesting change of perspective, but making life for me difficult as hell. However, I've been able to finally meet two wolves who do not seem to treat me as inferior or dangerous. I hope it stays that way. A month without any social contact and looking over your back is insane, even if it seems so comparable to what I've done for the last two years now. Them treating me normal undoubtedly is caused solely because I saved their cub, Xia from a burning building. And yes, it was dangerous to do so, keep it as a subject for lecturing round two. _

_Anyway, I will finish this entry with a bit of good news. While I do not have the faintest idea yet on how to reverse this process, or what has happened on your side, I seem to have a form of stability and a life-debt if I need it (though contemplating the offer makes me feel foul) for now. _

_Keep acing those master tests and your thesis. Oh, and give Marcus a punch in the face if he harasses or asks you out again. Somehow, I know he will. He's the dense lumbering type that won't take "no" for a comprehensible answer. Or just kick him in the balls, prevents a little Marcus for future generations. You'd probably be getting a shiny medal for it from the faculty. How that dork managed to end up in your class is something I'll never understand. _

_I'll write soon to keep you updated, even if you can't read it. Writing it down here for you eases my fears lulls my conscience though, so i'll keep doing it._

_Love,  
Alexander Jenssen._

* * *

_Note : I am aware of changing the name seemingly from Alexander to Alex. That is simply because that is how he was mentioned by Xia. Therefore, to the citizens of the valley he would be referred to as 'Alex'. _

_Also, many names from the real world are fake or bent to my purpose because I'm too lazy to search up the actual names that are fitting beyond what I already know._

_Up until now, most chapters already had some rough writing, and from now on they don't. I've got the chapters planned out a bit, content-wise, but that's it. So each chapter might take a bit longer from now on._

_Again, thank you for reading, and please leave a review. _


	5. Chpt 5 - Bows and Heroes

_Kung Fu Panda and all its content belongs to Dreamworks. References and other mentioned names, products, brands and all other licenses belong to their respective owners. I only own my OC's. This story is purely written for entertainment and hobby purposes. English is not my native language.  
Thank you for giving this read a chance, and I hope you'll enjoy reading this. _

_Summary : A human accidentally gets stuck in a different world during a trekking trip, filled with anthropomorphic animals. Set on finding his way back home, Alexander Jenssen must survive in a world that seems vacant of humanity. But is that truly the case? Set between KFP and KFP2._

_aquagirl28 : Thank you! No, I do not want Alexander Jenssen to become a marty sue. Which might be tricky.  
About Tigress' OOC : Tigress is, in my opinion, next to Shifu a bit of a person who is always alert and has dominance. She has been the most prominent and succesful protector of the valley for the last decade or so. Suddenly, a weird unknown creature jumps in a burning house and saves two children were she didn't, who then vanishes. Of course she wants to know more and is suspicious. Also, this is not long after the first KFP. She is not yet as opened up as in KFP2. She'll turn around. Eventually. Perhaps. _

_Daila Elkhatib : Thank you!_

* * *

**Kung Fu Panda : A Whole New World. **

'_Anyway, I will finish this entry with a bit of good news. While I do not have the faintest idea yet on how to reverse this process, or what has happened on your side, I seem to have a form of stability and a life-debt if I need it (though contemplating the offer makes me feel foul) for now._

_I'll write soon to keep you updated, even if you can't read this._

_Love,  
Alexander Jenssen.'_

**Chapter 5 : Bows and Heroes.**

_- Oslo, Norway - July 14__th_

It was exactly twenty past seven in the morning when a tall blonde woman pressed on the button of her coffee maker for an Espresso Ristretto – a small black coffee that was very intense, given a ten out of twelve on the scale of intenseness. It was an essential part of her morning routine and she dreaded the mere possibility of ever being without the Italian coffee and having to reduce herself to energy drinks or sodas. To be sure she had exactly thirty-seven spare boxes of ten capsules in each box to last an entire year, plus five slip-ups. One could never be too sure when it came to her precious coffee. The small white cup was filled under loud noise with the one weakness she allowed herself to divulge in, and she enjoyed it as intensely as her coffee.

Ten minutes later, at seven-thirty the backdoor opened and the young woman appeared on the terrace, out of her veranda, with a tray containing the rest of her breakfast to eat in the nice summer-weather. But she found herself to occupied with thoughts, theories and worries to simply enjoy it.

Sarah Jenssen sighed. She had accepted by now that her brother was definitely not simply sidetracked or delayed. He had truly gone missing. For a bit more than an estimated month now. And the reports that she had been able to gather, sometimes by making her contacts hack in servers, otherwise by pulling some strings, were contradicting, confusing and empty. Either some organizations purposefully made false records for their own reports and databases, or they were just as empty-handed and useless as she was feeling now.

Frustrated, she gathered her tray and put it in the kitchen. She'd clean it up later. She sat herself at the dark wooden table once more and took a pen and some blank paper. Her structured mind and punctuality didn't deal very well with the mystery she was presented with. She needed a base to work from and to deduct, to research. Large databases, libraries and archives were her homes.

"Okay, let's try to solve this puzzle once more…" she muttered as if the old house of her grandparents had ears.

"I know that he was checked in in a hotel in Alesund, which is roughly 500 kilometers or three hundred miles northeast of Oslo.  
Going north doesn't make much sense, since it would be going close to the northern pole.  
West is straight into the Norwegian sea.  
Straight south along the coastline towards Bergen or even Stavanger is possible but doesn't match his phone signals, nor has there been any sign of him there.  
Going south-east, towards me via Geiranger and then inland like what was planned is the logical option, and there were no operations, presences or activities that could have given him emergency reason to go a complete different direction.  
He has not taken a plane or big train under any of his aliases, he has more than enough experience with wild animals to avoid encounters correctly and wouldn't take stupid risks for the heck of it close to his destination since he wants to lay low, there have been no recent criminal victims…  
Alexander James Jenssen, you _dum blodig tosk,_ what the hell are you doing to be so untraceable? _Jeg savner deg…_"

His phone had stopped sending any form of signal whatsoever. It had last been recorded near a high point east of the Geiranger fjord, where they had been as children in the summer of 2004… Sarah was relatively sure that the cause or trace would be found there, but so far there was absolutely nothing. A rock slide had found place. Had he really been crushed by tons and tons of falling granite, deep in some opened crack in the earth? The quick visual image of her brothers blood, darkly dripping from rocks, his hand visible while the rest of his body had been crushed beyond recognition almost caused her to throw up on the very moment.

"Calm down girl, calm the fuck down. He isn't dead like that, he can't be. He's not. He's **NOT**. Not until there is absolute proof and the local search team haven't found any trace of real victims. If he is wounded he would already have signaled long ago. He isn't dead, he is a survivor. He has just… disappeared." She mumbled.

She would keep searching until there was a sign. People don't just disappear from the face of the earth. Mysteries can always be resolved. It wasn't like a black hole had just swallowed him. She would find him.

She would find him, no matter what.

And then she would slap him in his face for making her wasting her time away from her thesis. Some free slaps in his face were the least he owed her.

* * *

_- Valley of Peace_

_*CLANG. CLANG. BANG. CLANG. DING. BANG. BAM. CLING. CLANG. BONG. CLECK. BANG. BAM.* _

It was a bright morning with a spotless sky that witnessed these rhythmic loud sounds coming from Feng's workshop, where he was fervently beating the metal with a hammer. After ten more hits the metal went back into the furnace. Panting, he stood a little bit back.

A week had passed since he had met that strange human. Alex had last week been helping him with wood-working, this week they would mainly spent by the furnace, smithing. He was curious how he would do. He planned to first run through the basics, and just tell him to watch the furnace and help with the rough builds for today. After that, they'd see in what part he could be the most useful.

He considered himself a very lucky craftsman/wolf. He had an assistant now for much cheaper than he would normally have to pay. An assistant that was eager to work even, or just liked to do something useful. That assistant also being damn useful. `

Agreed, Alex was by no means a master craftsman and would probably never be. He would need a lot of lessons, but he learned quickly and his long fingers were much more useful for finer work than his bigger paws. A small tool was better for detailing work than his claws or anything he could properly hold. No complaints or nagging. A frustrated huff and scowl was the only negative reaction so far. That alone made him better than three-quarters of the possible assistants. Gods, the last one complained two sodding weeks about some splinters in his paw.

But what amazed Feng far more was his knowledge. Or rather, lack there-of. He simply appeared to know so much things, mysteries and theories even that he mentioned very casually, as if it was the most normal thing in the world, while other very obvious things were completely unknown to him and required explanations.

Every once in a while he made comparisons or seemed to make a reference to something Feng didn't comprehend at all. Like why in the valley's name had he begun snickering at the mentioning number sixty-nine and his wife in one sentence?

That young man was a living mystery. He was intelligent, frighteningly so. But wherever he came from, it was a _very_ weird place. Had to be, really.

His first real completed project was a small table for a rabbit family. The work went slow as expected, but the table was sturdy and smooth. That wasn't what had surprised him. Making a table wasn't exactly difficult. The ordered decorations was surprising. Some sort of weird layered pattern of flows weaving crisscross through each other.

Alex described most of the decorations as a 'classic Celtic style with some added waves' and described it as a style similarly used back in his country, long ago. Kara had listened fascinated about another Nordic culture that evening while Feng couldn't really give a shit about where it was or who invented it, it was damn beautiful and that mattered to him. What did all that 'Niflheim, Midgard and Asgard' bunch matter when he had a nice table? Besides, which godly realm named itself 'ass guard'? Really? Perhaps it was a necessary piece of armour or equipment over there. Or perhaps it was a job. He shuddered at the implications as to why someone had to guard his ass so heavily.

A prime example of the weird knowledge of his was a lesson he'd received. Feng was smart enough to realize the lesson he got on the so called 'golden ratio' was far more worth than ten tables. He was impressed by how 'right' and 'good' the table felt, and according to Alex the golden ratio was a mathematical number and relation designers and architects constantly used. He proceeded by explaining how it came back everywhere in nature. Feng had immediately started to measure everything, getting madly frustrated that the amused human was correct. But now he had knowledge no craftsman in China had. Wasn't he a lucky wolf?

What satisfied him even more was to see that Alex and Xia quickly became friends. The little girl simply adored him. She had wanted to tell all her friends her savior and hero was now her friend but a quick talk made her understand that was not a good idea. Alex acted very much at ease around her, he seemed less guarded and tense. He seemed like a much bigger mature brother if anything.

He was snapped out of his musings when a voice sounded from behind him.

"Good morning, Feng."

"What the- Alex! How long have you been standing behind me?"

"For the past sixteen minutes. You didn't notice me when stepping in you workshop. I was already waiting for you" the human said with a smirk.

"Why the blasted tits are you so early?"

One eyebrow raised towards the creative curse. He hadn't heard that one yet last week.  
"I was up early, figured we'd start early" he responded with shrug of his shoulders.

"Riiiight… weird ass humans, getting up before they have to-" grumbled the wolf. Alex was already past caring. Past week had made a couple a things clear :

The wolf loved his job almost as much as his family. If he could get away with using the forge and its hellish noise in the night, he would do it. Unfortunately, that would mean waking up Kara which led to lesson number two :  
never ever wake her up for something like that. Instant deathwish. As in, you wish were dead to escape her wrath. Feng did it at least twice a month, which brought up the arguable point of his sanity.  
Past that she was a doting motherfigure, so he, the utterly alone poor lad, was 'suffering' from her attention. Much to Feng's continuous hilarity.  
Xia was the cutest ball of talking fluff he'd ever seen.  
And Feng saw insults as an art on par with his crafting.

"So, I figured t'day will be filled with glory at the forge! You're gonna learn to 'preciate seering heath, molten rock, loud hammering near your skull and white-burning coals!"

The human took a small step back, seemingly to think whether it wasn't better to take a knife and just make a table again.

"Ah, com'on. It isn't so bad! You simply have to learn. It's hard work for sure, but the results are marvels on its own. You have to _feel_ it, the metal rebounding your hammer, releasing sizzling bright sparks when you guide its form into some new life under the music of the tinkering of the hammers, or the gliding of your polishing until it shines and sparkles like a mirror, happy to see the light! Oh, you will learn the wonders that or created in the forge, lad.

For a moment, golden twinkles filled the wolf's grey eyes like fireworks. Alex had to admit : the guy could give a motivation speech. Or it was the truly awesome swords behind his back he was gesturing at. The child in him, small as it was felt gleeful in the sight of such a fantasy, were those iconic weapons of knights were made. The seventy eight percent realistic side of him desperately wanted an apron, a pair of thick gloves and a welding mask big enough for body.

"anyway, we'll go over the sorts of metal t'day, the basis of hard and soft iron and steel, melting, forging, tempering and all that. Don't you worry too much yet, I'll give you clear and simple instructions. I'll even give you a safety crash course!" He pronounced the last part as if it was an enormously grand gesture of good will, rather than just making sure his brand new worker wouldn't lose his limbs.

An hour later, Alex was hammering rawer metal down to shake loose filth and impurities before moving it through the searing heat. His job today was simple enough to comprehend. Raw chunks of metal had to go through the first rough purify phase to get rid of rock, dirt and everything save the pure metal. The second round was Feng's for getting it fully pure.

Oh, and the safety crash course consisted full of useful tips as "don't touch the hot forge with your bare hands, it's kinda warm." For all he had scoffed at flight safety courses before the take-off of a plane, he really wished he had one right now. Or a "Forging one-o'-one". Or "Forging for Dummies".

The day passed on without much incidents and for all of the torture that the forge gave, he had to admit it. The hard work in the intense heat felt extremely satisfactory, like battling hell itself. The trip to his cave, while the cool breeze kissed him soundly felt like walking on clouds. The swim in the pool before his cave felt like heaven alright. You know that feeling of a cold shower after a very intense workout in the blistering summer-heath? Quadruple that satisfaction.

And he hadn't slept so well afterwards since he arrived here. He was just too tired. Strange how such ungrateful work (who thanks the one he purifies the ore outside the smith?) could grant such satisfaction.

* * *

The morning after, Feng was already waiting for him in the smithy. But most of the metal works seemed to have been moved a bit to the side. Bringing the large workbench more central in the workplace, with some other tools he did not recognize. Although, judging from the amounts of branches and wood on the side, they weren't going to be using the forge today.

"So Alex, what do you know of archery and bows?"

"A bit. I know a bit of the evolution that various bows have gone through, and some of the techniques, but not that much. Theory, mostly, I've never made one. I've shot a few times, but merely for recreation. I never took it up seriously. Why?"

Feng grinned. "I most likely need your help. I've no problem with crafting anything, but I'm not satisfied with my bows. They're either too heavy and crude to be effective, even if they are balanced fine. Or too small and twig-like to accomplish anything. You see, most folks here don't have the good build or physique for an archer. Pigs, geese and all those are too short. I rarely get to build on bows and I wanna experiment. You're a tall and straight fellow, you could try out a lot of bows easily."

"You're not much shorter then I am, Feng" Alex replied with a small frown.

"Aye, but we wolves don't got the straight build. We're all hunched over, for when we want to run on all fours. I can't stand as straight as you and possibly draw the string back as far as you, my spine won't allow that."

Alex nodded. He had observed inhabitants of the valley more than enough already last month and noticed differences with the biology he had learned of animals. Most were apparently partly or largely evolved like humans, while not losing the things that clearly defined them as a certain animal.  
Most of those differences were probably in the shift towards anthropomorphic lives.

To walk upright, like a bipedal required an entirely different posture than most animals had. Felines and canines shouldn't be able to do it effectively. Sketches for the anatomy showed him that there had to be some middle way. It allowed animals that walked on all fours to have a different point of gravity to walk steadily on two legs, while not really shortening the spine or lengthening the hind legs.  
He wryly thought back to a Jurassic Park quote : "Life always finds a way". Good thing it didn't apply to freaking giant reptiles in this case…

"Alright, you caught my interest. Bows it is then. What do you want of me?"

Feng looked like Christmas had come early.

"Great! Well, I noticed you've more talent as a designer and have a bunch of weird knowledge in general. If you could provide me with some designs of various bows we could discuss what would be most suited for you, experiment a bit with new toys. Afterwards, you can test 'em and see which one is the best to use and keep. Sound good?"

"Wait, you said you wanted to specifically design a bow for me? Not just the access to new designs? Why?" Alex asked, a bit confused.  
He had already learned that Feng simply loved crafting and experimenting around, but to specifically craft for someone was done on orders for high-placed military or important people. Sometimes wealthy upper-class, who wanted something fancy.

"Kid, it is not that hard. You already helped me a lot out here. I want to do something in return. Even not considering that life-debt I owe you", he quickly added when he saw a protest forming.  
"I love creating new stuff and weapons, and having you as a recipient is a new challenge that bursts of possibilities. And you know types of weapons that I simply have been itchin' for to make, but for which I hadn't founded a proper excuse yet. Get it?"

Alex nodded. Feng was going to make a bow, and perhaps other things, suited specifically for his needs and size. He could still be for god knows how long be stuck in this place. And he had regular encounters with bandits not too far from his cave, they seemed to prefer to approach villagers from the wilder forest part of the valley. The one in which he lived know.

And he could steal their weapons, sure, but they were completely unusable for him. The swords some pigs had carried could just as well have been broad curved letter-openers. Scratch that, at least most letter-openers could be used as a hidden stabbing knife, or used as a throwing knife. Those that the crocks used were blunt and far too heavy.

He had to face the ugly head of truth. He was going to be in fights, he was going to be in danger, and most animals in the valley would kill or harm or imprison him out of fear or prejudice. And a matching set of weapons, made for him? This was an opportunity to good to pass up.

"You're so reluctant. Is it that difficult to just accept some weapons that you'll be able to properly wield?" Feng asked, curious.

"I don't like fighting. I never imagined having to learn how to properly wield and fight with swords and bows. To be honest, I'm better at healing than fighting. At least I have experience with that" Alex answered with a bit of a laugh. Honestly, running around with a sword and bow constantly? It sounded as if he had landed in some role-playing game.

"You, a trained healer? Seriously?" Feng asked incredulously.

"What is so had about that to believe?"

"You don't strike me as the type. You seemed much more a capable fighter to me."

"Sorry to disappoint."

"Doesn't change my opinion of you, don't worry. I just didn't expect it, kid" he said grinning.

"And you're right. By standards and all that, I'm not a master or apprentice when it come to the arts of healing. My parents were thick with the healing sector and taught me a bit. Count to that two years of field work of voluntary aid in refugee camps or poor regions, and I'd say that gives me _some_ credit. But I'm not familiar with many local situations or variables. Or its various sorts of citizens for that matter…

"Ah, don't worry about it kid. I shall turn you into an ass-whoopin' human who can hug an' heal his attackers later on!"

"Feng."

"What?"

"Don't call me 'kid'. You're not much older than I am." Alex grumbled. Honestly, he was twenty, creeping towards twenty-one. Young adult, perhaps, but no one was going to call him a kid.

"Whatever you wish, lad. Now, shall we get started on that bow and those designs or are we going to stand here until we're both mature adults?" the wolf asked cheekily with mirth in his eyes.

Alex groaned horrified. He'd just have to find a way to get him back. And 'mature adult' didn't sound very satisfactory either. As if he was some dry boring bureaucrat. But he did move himself behind a desk with scraps of paper, pencil and charcoal to begin his drawing session.

Twenty minutes later he was in deep discussion with a way too excited wolf. Christ, he looked like an overgrown monstrous puppy who had found his first stick.

"Aaaaalleeeeeeex!"

"What, wolf?" he answered, trying not to snap back.

"Are you even listening?"

"Yes I am! I'm simply not wetting myself over the prospect of seeing a bow with different curves!"

"Then why don't you explain why I cannot make that tall English longbow with a double recurve?" Feng complained.

"Because it would take ridiculously much strength to properly draw, not to mention my arms should be twice as long. Yes, it would send an long arrow on an accurate record distance, but the drawback would be far too heavy to be effective and functional. And I've seen those longbows, they are simply too long. They are not wieldable. Good for a defendable position perhaps, but I want to keep agile. I recommend making the bow a lot smaller but at least a recurve one. A reflex (double) recurve takes an awful lot of strength."

"Well this type here, that's a reflex recurve and it's small. But you complain that one is too small."

"Yes, that is mounted rider's bow. A Mongolian type, I think. Or at least used by the wild tribes of the eastern plains. West, for you. And this one is from the Hungarians of eastern Europe."

"So what do you want then? An average flatbow? That just won't do, you know." Feng said with a pout.

"No, I agree on that part. I do prefer a recurve, or even a reflex recurve bow, but then the limbs of the bow need to be made flatter, thinner to reduce the power needed to draw it and the curves cant' be ridiculously strong."

"Which will limit the speed of the arrow's flight. I'd leave it flat on the inside, but rounder on the outside – the front of the bow. That will reduce the drawback strength a bit, but will mainly leave the bow in general stronger. Don't worry, there'll be a middle way, kid."

"Feng, no 'kid', remember?"

"Whatever you say lad."

Alex gave an exasperated sigh and muttered a couple of words in a different language. He instantly vowed from now on, to switch his curses to another language. French or Norse should do. Feng was obviously more of a commoner's attitude and was not as close minded as the rest. But he had to remind himself that the rest wasn't, or did not appear to be so.

This was a medieval world, if not earlier. Insulting someone could have drastic consequences, especially if that someone had a higher status than him. Seeing as he had none, except being a free man, he had to watch what he said. A liberal slip of the tongue was a rather stupid cause to end up executed. If he cursed, which he would undoubtedly do, better to do so in another language. He could always invent some fake translation on the spot.

And it would annoy Feng incredibly if he didn't know what he was being insulted for. The wolf simply _collected_ insults. Yup, definitely a good idea.

Meanwhile, Feng some the scowl on his assistants' face evolve into a pondering though and then into a gleeful smile that promised trouble. He returned to business-mode.

"What of a composite bow? Multiple materials?"

"Multiple materials? Of course there will be multiple materials in, kid! The handle and the ends have strengtheners on it."

"Yes, that is obvious, _chiot petite,_ but I was talking about a layered one. You know, layers of laminated wood with various characteristics."

"Laminated layers of various materials? I sense some genius explanation coming that will give me years of inspiration!" Feng hadn't even registered the French words and was as enthusiastic as before. '_Chiot petite'_ was now an accurate description indeed.

"In short, recurve bows at home that are not used for hunting, but merely for recreational practice shooting at boards often consist of a heavy thick handle that is shaped especially for one hand position, with two slots for limbs to be shoved in. Those limbs consist out of laminated layers of wood, metal or other materials like fiberglass or carbon, although I have no idea how to make those last two. Therefore, the bow is small to transport at roughly a third of its full length and the limbs can potentially be replaced by others with various lengths, materials or strengths. Look, here is a basic sketch with the three separate parts."

At seeing the concept art and listening to the explanation, Feng stared with open mouth. A bow that could be taken apart for transportation, and be modified in parts to fit a situation's requirements? And a technique of thin flat wood layers, pressed together to take advantage of a material's advantage but rid it entirely of its weakness? It would take a lot of work to make one but the potential… this was groundbreaking. This could change the entire way bows were build. And all of it, potentially _centuries_ of improvement came down to three casually explained sentences from this human next to him.

Said human was torn between a bit of amusement and worry at seeing the wolf stand there so stunned. 'I wish I could've impressed my teachers so easily' he thought. After a minute and some gentle pokes against his shoulder, Feng did not give the faintest sign of changing his expression any time soon.

'Oh dear, did I broke him?' he pondered. He really didn't want to explain this to Kara.

So Alex did the only thing he could do : he took a chair, sat down and began to wait and think.

It didn't really make sense. The bows. Composite bows, even in full layers had been around in the east from before the Gregorian calendar begun. So far, from what he had seen on technology he had assumed he was somewhere in the Ming dynasty, which spanned from the 14th till the mid-17th century. The chronological next one, the Qing dynasty, did not seem to fit; so Ming it was.

No western influence whatsoever, no technologies like the 15th century movable printing press by Gutenberg. Hell, the first printing presses _were_ made by the Chinese as early as the year 1041 by the Han Chinese printer called Bi Sheng, or during the Goryeo dynasty in Korea. Some facts from his history courses that he remembered that were now rendered utterly useless except for drawing comparisons or having the ambition of providing Ancient Animal China ('AAC for short perhaps?') with a handwritten copy of Wikipedia articles concerning general history that had yet to happen. But if this wasn't around he had been wrong in his previous assessment and was much earlier in time, perhaps even before the roman empire.

No, that didn't make sense. The styles of building for common houses was way too high a standard for such an early period in time. Overall, quality of life didn't seem bad at all. That didn't follow such early history. Another conclusion formed itself. How can technologies that should be long known and standard during a certain period in time be missing, while other proof -the high quality of nearly everything- excluded that it could be long before said period of time? The conclusion was simple and frightening, since it rendered all his historical lessens nearly useless.

He was in a completely different timeline altogether.

Everything was different here, which meant that the order of technological (r)evolutions was not necessarily the same. The steam engine might be invented next week, while the guns would decide not to appear this century. Or millennium, given that the speed of technological improvement could no longer be a given fact too. Perhaps this world would, in ten thousand years still be stuck in its AAC phase. Wonderful. Just wonderful.

Perhaps writing a detailed timeline was not such a bad idea. If only so he didn't forget his own timeline.

Why had he even be searching for comparable points in time? He was in freaking animal land. AAC. A Dreamworks world. A fictive world. One invented for children, that could not escape the harshness that a reality brought with itself. He could almost hear the narrator say 'long ago, when animals still spoke…' what, was he in a point before recorded time? Every time he thought he had figured it out, he come upon contradicting proof. And it didn't even matter, for it would change nothing.

He breathed in and out for a couple of times to slow down his racing thoughts. No good in panicking here, in a forge next to the only creature in the whole valley that _did _see him as a sane creature, over mere theories. Let's just add them tonight to the rest. It could fit very nicely right behind Plato's allegory of the cave and before his theories about insanity or his mindscape somehow having warped what passed for reality now, which was another insanity theory, but with him having superpowers. You'd never know.

One hundred and sixty-seven seconds later, a certain canine gave signs of life. Huh, so he wasn't broken. 'Note to self : to stun a local, tell them something they don't know.'

"That's, that's… that's just AMAZING! Bows that can be taken apart on a whim! Bows that can be adapted to take down small bastards far off or big bastards nearby in a jiffy! Not to mention spare parts! Repairing would get so much easier! It'll be a challenge and take time, but for specialized models… ah Alex, bless your brain and your mouth for they have just committed more to geniality than all the other crafters last century!"

"It's alright Feng. But I would prefer it if you wouldn't spread all these things around to quickly, and not mention me overly much. I am willing to help you with your crafters' lust, not your blood lust."

"Ah, I see. Well, no fear from that! I want to experiment first before others get their hands on these ideas and create more beauties. Primarily, _your_ beauty first. What kinda bow, then?"

"I don't really know outside what I'm describing you F-"

"Stop right there. Ah! I'm such a fool! You gotta feel it first. Feel the models before you decide the direction. For all I know, a recurve doesn't suit you at all. I've got a bow or twenty hanging on that sidewall over there. Hold 'em, stretch 'em, nock an arrow, feel 'em, you know the drill".

For the next twenty minutes, he observed the human holding his bows correcting his poses and loudly giving his pointers and opinions. One bow wasn't even allowed in his hands. It was a monstrosity, according to its creator. He sounded just like a French fashion-dresser, except his concerns were weapons rather than clothes. Or he could be Q from the AAC secret service.

"From what I've felt so far, this Kaiyuan bow feels very good. I like the model. The reflex curve isn't overdone, for strength, I think. Although I would prefer if these parts here, were more fluid. The actual recurve parts are too sharp here. Also, could they be moved more to the end of each limb? That way, there would be more maneuverability for position, and it is less likely to hit my face."

"Ah, yes, that would certainly be possible. This one was made for a tall fellow, a leopard once. I made it with a friend Gao Xiang. A fervent shooter, but he's in the imperial army now. Let's see… horn, bamboo and sinew composite around the recurve angles. I'm going to change the materials though. While horn is fine for securing ends and perhaps the handle, bamboo isn't going in. Not even as backing. And perhaps some metal swirls around it. I want to make this a work of art! Different angle and different wood, it would make the bow much stronger but it will end up a bit thicker than this one."

"A bit thicker is no problem, this one looks a bit frail. To frail for me at least. But I don't need a work of art Feng, let's focus on making a bow that functions first. Form follows function is an important design rule."

"Nonsense! While you are right that functionality comes first, I'm not going to waste this chance. This _will_ be a beauty. Don't get a fit, it will be sparsely decorated. Overdone only weighs it down anyway. But bamboo is too light and too ugly. I'm thinking of a dark, warm wood like black walnut. Backing or not, I'll still decide. And then horn for the tips. I'll still have to think about the handgrip. Don't wanna make it too small like most of ours. Decoration can be limited to painted leaves or vines going around the wood a couple of times. Yes, that sounds excellent!"

"Feng, not to break your spirit, but isn't that too much? You sound as if you're going to make some invincible weapon for me. I'm not trained, remember? Why waste so much effort on someone like me?" Alex asked with confusion.  
Suddenly getting a weapon that was the life's work of a master-smith sounded too much like some story 'in which a mysterious boy ends up saving everyone' for his liking. He was pretty sure he wasn't that boy. Nor did he want to be.

"You have a very low self-image, don't you?"

"No, I do not."

At this Feng raised an eyebrow. "Alex, you have apparently saved many people from sickness or wounds that would have taken them otherwise, without expecting a reward. You saved my little girl, the one thing in this world, save perhaps my wife, I would do everything for. You faced near-certain death to save someone not even of your own species. And you ask nothing in return except for what we would have tried to help with anyway. Say what you want, that's a hero."

"Feng, I'm not some fairytale hero with shining armor. I do not run in to save the day. I do not have the faintest desire to be a hero. Heroes are people of fictional stories, or end up dead. There is no real hero with a happy ending to his life.  
I merely try do become a decent man of which my parents could be proud of. I do not seek for opportunities to help – I try to avoid them generally. But if I cannot do that, then I try to make myself useful if I can. It is simply what I do. What anyone would and should do. Do you think I'm some glorious monster-slayer and defender of pure virgins? I'd run away, if I didn't wet my undies first if faced with one. I use every advantage that I can get my hands one if it is necessary. Even if it is not decent."

He sighed. "I do not want to be here Feng. I want to be home, relaxing with a book, annoying my sister, perhaps try some new pick-up lines on girls in a bar and get drunk. If I could go home, right now, I would in a heartbeat. Hell, I would probably not even say goodbye to you, or thank you properly. I'm honest enough to admit that." His head went low.

"But I can't. I can't go home. I do not know how. I'm stuck in this place. I refuse to give up hope because I'm a stubborn fool. But until that time is there, I simply try to make best of what I can here. I try to live on. And that includes, given my stupid nature, helping people every once in a while."

"Which one?"

Eyebrows raised. "What?"

Feng looked utterly serious. "You said you'd run away if faced with 'one' and wet your undies. Did you mean the monster or the pure virgin?"

"Of **ALL** the things you could've picked up from my angst-filled monologue while I was pouring my heart out, you decide to be picky about _that?"_. Alex asked simply astonished.

"What did you honestly expect me to do? Ha!" Feng roared his barking laugh. Then he got close and clasped Alex' shoulder steady in his paw.

"Alex, I did not expect you to be some hero like that. Never did, never will. You're a very honest guy to admit this so freely. You're a normal person-

Alex snorted.

-Well, as normal as anyone in your position can be and you help in what way you can when you can offer it. And you have already gone far beyond that for my daughter. You're a good guy and you try to make this world a better place. No one can ask more."

Alex blinked. 'Monologue 'I'm no hero' : failed.'

"And I can't speak for you parents, but I know that if my son would ever say that to me after doing what you did, I'd be the proudest father there'd be in the whole of sodding Asia."

Alex blinked again. 'Nice compliment though.'

And this bow is won't be my masterpiece. It is an experiment and challenge for me to build a bow with a new technique and design for someone who can utilize it far more than my usual costumers. Someone that I want to be able to defend himself. And don't forget that I'll need a lot of work from you too! It's your bow, so you work. You gave me designs and techniques worth a thousand bows.

Alex blinked once more. 'No heavenly weapon suddenly gifted by a divine messenger, thus less chance of him turning out to be some hero. Just a way to properly defend himself. Monologue didn't really fail then.' He could live with that.

"Now, you, get drawing! I want detailed sketches for at least fifteen designs, in all four positions as discussed! That's sixty correct drawings that I want before lunch! Hup, hup!"

Groan. Definitely work, no divine gift.

"Besides, Alex, what is a _chiot petite_?"

Laughter filled his ears. "I'll tell your wife this evening during mealtime. She might tell you."

With that, the human went to his desk, sat down, filled his head with inspiration from WETA workshop and went to work.

* * *

_Again, thank you for reading, and please leave a review. _

_Not much has happened this chapter, it's mainly some filling and bonding between Alexander and Feng. I rather like the idea of him needing to build his own weapons and stuff because most stuff in the valley won't work for him. I had originally planned for Tigress and Shifu to make another appearance, but that has been pushed to next chapter. From there one, the five and Po start to really appear more prominent. Pinky promise._

_The Norse names and some techniques mentioned required some research. I do not plan to write a scientifically correct report, but I do want to make it sound believable. _

_I have used some Norse words because my OC's partly are, but since I'm not (nor do I know any) I have placed my trust in google translator. Forgive me, any Nordic/French readers that I might offend with incorrect language from now on.  
dum blodig tosk : Stupid bloody fool  
Jeg savner deg : I miss you  
chiot petite : little puppy._


	6. Chpt 6 - Concerning Humans

_Kung Fu Panda and all its content belongs to Dreamworks. References and other mentioned names, products, brands and all other licenses belong to their respective owners. I only own my OC's. This story is purely written for entertainment and hobby purposes. English is not my native language.  
Thank you for giving this read a chance, and I hope you'll enjoy reading this. _

_Summary : A human accidentally gets stuck in a different world during a trekking trip, filled with anthropomorphic animals. Set on finding his way back home, Alexander Jenssen must survive in a world that seems vacant of humanity. But is that truly the case? Set between KFP and KFP2._

_Guest : This chapter! Well, sort of. From now on, the five and the other known characters will be appearing more often in the story, and have more prominent roles. Next chapter is a true proper first meeting. Pinky promise. Perhaps. We'll see. _

_Guest : Here it is, and it's a long one too!_

_Concerning romances : I've had the question if Alex will have a romance or not quite often now. To be clear : Yes, there will be romantical elements but it isn't the prime role of this story and they will only appear later on in the story. I'm still unsure whether to give him an actual romance or not (and with who). Alex wants to go home. He promised his sister and he's not about to be deferred from that. On the other hand, he is no solitary invincible warrior and wants to have someone close to be able to trust just like everyone. The uncertainty is why you can't see any pairings in the description. I simply don't know yet. Guess we'll see how that plays out._

**Kung Fu Panda : A Whole New World. **

"Besides, Alex, what is a _chiot petite_?"

Laughter filled Feng's ears. "I'll tell your wife this evening during mealtime. She might tell you."

With that, the human went to his desk, sat down, filled his head with inspiration from WETA workshop and went to work.

**- Chapter 6 : Concerning Humans.**

Gongmen City, Council Palace, late morning.

"Again, should need arise you, know that you are always welcome here in Gongmen City, young friends and masters" a massive rhino with an engraved horn and a very high, heavy hammer said in a deep, booming voice.

"Thank you, Master Thundering Rhino. It was truly awesome to have trained in your halls with you, the Ferocious Master Croc and Master Storming Ox." Answered a giant panda, who still couldn't wrap his head around the fact he had trained for weeks with his heroes.

Thundering Rhino smiled and let out a softer, deep chuckle. The panda in front of him was not what he had expected of the Dragon Warrior at all. Croc and Ox had downright scoffed. But Po had defeated Tai Lung. Master Oogway had named him, and no one else the Dragon Warrior. And their respect for the ancient turtle had been, and still was, endless.

It was Oogway who had showed him the right path. For all three of them. Croc had been a bandit, Ox a ring-fighter and he a glory-seeking troublemaker. And now they were masters in the Kung Fu Council, heroes, almost revered amongst all of China. Who were they to question the decisions of the one who was the very founder of Kung Fu and showed them these lives of honor and worth?

Besides, he began to understand the wisdom of Master Oogway that he could not see as a brash youngster. Within Po was an enormous potential hidden. One only had to learn how to see that potential. Frankly, he was different.

Perhaps that was why Oogway named him the Dragon Warrior. The major part of him was not a great Dragon Warrior, but a fun-loving enthusiastic kind panda, noodle-making fanboy. And the Dragon Scroll had not changed that. He was ordinary, and in that lied his very strength. He did not seek the scroll, or its power.

"You are quite welcome, young dragon warrior." Thundering Rhino said with a smile. "Now, I believe it is best if you depart with your two friends, or the time gained by the morning will you be lost to you and you might run late."

"Hehe, we never run late!"

"Yea! Well, except big guy here when he spots food."

"Hey! Come one guys, that was one time!" Po complained to the familiar approaching figures of a grinning golden langur and smug-looking praying mantis.

"Like with the noodles those four times on the way here?"

"Or the dumplings? What was it? Seven times?"

"Five!"

"And then there were the cookies, the stew, the soup, the…"

"Ok, ok, we get the idea guys! Master Rhino said we best get going, so let's get going" the unfortunate panda broke Mantis off.

Master Thundering Rhino watched as the three went their way, away from the palace in Gongmen city towards the harbor. He smiled to himself and retreated to his chambers. He had taken the day of, unless an urgent matter required his attention he would not be disturbed.

Lowly humming a bit he hung one of his outer garment robes on the side and went to his desk to shove it open. Inside the desk were his few personal things. Little things that brought important memories with them. There were a few things he had of his father, the legendary master Flying Rhino, his diaries and others.

While rummaging a bit through it he suddenly felt the touch of something unfamiliar. He took it out to see a book unlike any other. Bound in an unknown smooth material, embossed and engraved in ways and details unknown. Rhino's eyes widened a bit in surprising recognition.

"Oh, I had almost forgotten you, my old friend."

It was the diary of the strangest person master Rhino had ever met in his life. A person unlike any other, both in physical terms and ways of thinking. And this strange person was probably his best friend, even though he'd known him only for a few months before he left again, never to be seen again. How long was it ago since they saved each other's lives in that particular encounter when they met? Nineteen, perhaps twenty years?

He opened the cracking book carefully and began to read.

_This diary belongs to James Adam Jenssen and may you fall into an endless pit of despair and bitterness if you read this without my express permission. No, scratch that. You can fall into the pit anyway, seeing as I'll never give this book to anyone. Even if I did, I will still piss on your pillow if you read on. You're warned._

The old master chuckled. James _had_ grumbled for days after giving him the diary, but then again, he left to a different place, never to return. Rhino couldn't tell anyone James knew of its contents, and no one here would believe Rhino if he told them about his friend.

_Bought in Oslo, Paperwares inc. – printed in 1987. _Was printed at the bottom. Rhino vaguely remembered James owning a house in a city called 'Oslo', somewhere in the far north-west.

_Entry 1 : _

_Huh. A diary. Never figured I'd actually write in a thing like this. I don't really know what to write in this, besides perhaps mentioning my second child is on the way? It is a feeling that fills me with joy and pride. Sarah, my daughter of three, is going to get a little sibling to care for. My wife and love of my life, Elizabeth, wants a boy but I don't really care if it is a boy or a girl. I already love it and I couldn't care less about its gender. Since we don't know the gender yet, I've decided to refer to the unborn child as 'it'. Perhaps I'll even continue to call 'it' 'it' after it is born, since it is a very convenient name._

_'It' is going to be most likely my final child as well. Both Elizabeth and I are not the best examples of parents because we do not always have continuous time for them, much as we wish we had. But right now I'm still in the healing division of the army, camping in the rain. I'll just have to make it up to them when I'm back for a few months. I just hope I will be back in time to be there when 'it' is born. I think I'll take my leave from the army after this mission as well, to go back on the path of science like my wife. I would be at home for the kid(s) and I could search further for my dream, to find cures and medicines for problematic illnesses. _

_We have already agreed on the name though. If 'it' is a girl we go for Rosaline after my grandmother. If it's a boy we'll name him after Emma's grandfather, Alexander._

_If you read this, and you're not me, beware your pillow._

Thundering Rhino let out his booming laugh. He'd almost forgotten James' unique sense of humor. Calling his child, 'it'. Typical. He pondered for a moment. James was twenty-seven when they met so he had to be forty-seven, perhaps forty-eight now. And his children were no doubt already adults in their early twenties. 'How time flies', he mused. He turned the page and decided to use the whole day to completely revisit his memories of his old, strange, human friend.

* * *

Alexander James Jenssen could, despite all his troubles, not help but feel satisfied after two long weeks of experimenting, crafting, chafing, trying, testing, tuning and retrying his bow. But boy, was it ever satisfactory to finally shoot with the finished product.

Fifty nine inches of dark wood, just an inch short of five feet tall stood the bow in rest. Or one hundred forty-nine point eighty-six centimeters, depending on what scale you used.  
Turned out Ancient China used feet and inches as sizes. The logic of why escaped him though, China had adopted the metric system rather than the imperial one on earth in modern times, it had never used the imperial one. The alternative scale did, curiously enough, match with that of the old china of his earth : the _chi, bu and li_. With one _bu_ consisting of five _chi_, and one _li_ of three hundred _bu_.  
He didn't plan on using it though. Far too bothersome and not as practical as the metric or imperial scale.

Alexander recalled with fondness the first time Feng showed him the finished weapon. Well, he had a pretty good idea what it would look like of course, _he designed it_ and put a lot of work in it after all. But when the rough build was finished and the final parts had to be done Alexander wasn't allowed to see it.

"_Alex", Feng called, "It's time to be formally introduced to yer new partner." The slightly mad gleam in his eyes could either be very good or very bad._

"_AND HERE SHE IS!" he proclaimed dramatically, while casting the protective cloth aside. "Isn't she a beauty?" he stated more than asked, as if agreeing wasn't even necessary. _

"_Black walnut as a base with a backing of Osage orange. Incredible material, that Osage is. Extremely durable, pliable, lasts forever without need for a single set and amazing compressing strength. It's a pity the wood doesn't come in long enough lengths for a full bow without weak points or knots in it. Besides it's too heavy for yer designs. But as backing for a main body of walnut, it'll do wonders for the reach and form." He sighed with fondness. _

_Alex stood still, jaw a bit slacked. It was in that moment that Alex finally began to understand to eagerness of the weapons-crafter. He suddenly understood. The moment to see your creation finally finished, to see a new work of art finalized, craving to be held, used, to hear the wood give that satisfying moaning grunt when its string was drawn, ready to send an arrow flying through the air with a high whistling sound. _

_He understood. He understood the meaning, the satisfaction, the essence of crafting. And Feng knew, Alex understood._

_It was in that moment a truly unlikely friendship of a wolf and a man was formed. _

"_She is." Was all that he could mutter when he gingerly ran his fingers over the sober dark wood. _

Right now, he was fervently training. He wanted, needed to master his bow as soon as possible. He couldn't allow himself to wait when he needed to fight for his life to train. By then, he needed to be able to fluently shoot and have enough accuracy to not waste his arrows. So there was only one solution.

Train. Train. Train. Train until his arm felt like it was on fire. And then train some. Besides, it meant he couldn't burn his hands at the forge or descend into a depression when thinking about his home at his cave.

"You draw slightly to high. Yer hand doesn't have to be in the exact middle, what matters is yer arrow is drawn straight. Now, by focusing too much on tha position of the center of your hand, your arrow is aimed a bit upwards. That's why you always hit above your targets, and why you're aiming below them to correct it."

Alex sighed. It was hard, trying to master a bow. Even if it was one made especially for him. The dark bow was perfect. It 'felt' perfectly balanced. Even holding it felt like slipping in a tailored tuxedo. Feng had outdone himself. But it was still only a bow. No bow suddenly grants the wielder skill. Hours and hours had he been practicing the last day and while he did notice a vast increase in skill -faster that he had dared to hope- it was the result of hard and painful work.

His first five miserable attempts didn't even reach the trees he had been aiming for. The next ten did hit a tree, but the wrong one. The sixteenth did hit it (just at the outer border) to have his next one fail by his bow slamming against his nose, making it bleed. Feng had barked laughs about it for the remainder of the day.

"Like this?" he shuffled his hand a mark down, so his arrow entered another guiding groove.

"Don't ask me, kid. Feel it yerself. Give it another try."

The response came by a whizzing sound and a sharp tud when the arrow embedded itself in the second circle, just two inches from the center away.

"Hah! Good one! I told ya' you'd be getting it down. You are progressing fast with all your effort. I doubt you'll have much difficulty skewering your enemies soon!"

"Indeed! It goes easier than I thought it would!" Alex exclaimed, satisfied.

"Oh, it's easy now, is it?" A sly grin formed. "Tell you what : you go back to your cave to practice. When you have five straight shots in the center from at least twenty yards away, you can come by for a good hearty dinner. Before then, I don't want to see yer face."

The rest of the week was filled with practicing on the various aspects near his cave, where he could practice without the risk of anyone spotting him. Aiming, releasing, drawing the string, positioning or drawing the arrows in fluid movements.

Feng was a good help, but could only do so much. He was no accomplished archer himself and his build was completely different from a human one. He knew his bows, but he couldn't do it himself. Alexander needed to find a balance for everything himself.

Straight stance, rolling the shoulders and let elbow and his arrow locked into a good firing position. From then on it was a matter of aiming, and correcting the shot in advance for the needed distance.

It was amazing how much one could progress in several days if you truly wanted to improve and fully put every waking hour in it. He already knew that fact though from personal experience. When he was travelling and helping people, he did not have the chance to study much. Experiencing that you could be robbed of the opportunity of learning and seeing so many who couldn't was a fantastic motivation. So he studied fervently when he could do so at every opportunity.

_**Position.**_ Turning forty-five degrees with his body and instinctively brought forward one leg while finding a back grip with the other.

_**Draw**__. _Right hand taking out an arrow and allow the weight of the point to make a three-quarters circle so it landed on the _left_ side of the bow, while fumbling his fingers and nocking the shaft.

_**Lock. **_Bow moved upwards while string was drawn in one movement to save time. His bow was held a bit sideways, with the upper part to the right. It gave a perfect resting zone for the arrow.

_**Aim. **_Steady the along the shaft, aimed a bit below the upper border of the target.

_**Fire. **_Two finger relaxed. The hardened shaft released and flew at two hundred twenty feet per second before it buried itself straight into its target.

A tired smile showed on the face of the archer. His last five shots including this one were all straight on the mark. A week of non-stop practicing from dusk till dawn had its reward. Skill. Finally, he could defend himself properly. He was almost eager to encounter some brutal bandits that deserved shooting off. Almost.  
If he wasn't so tired he would be berating himself for being eager to fight or be in danger but right now, he couldn't come to care.

He had a dinner to go to.

* * *

"Alex, could you tell me what 'chiot petite' means? My husband has been getting worked up about it for a week now." Kara asked, genuinely curious what it actually meant. Alex hadn't spilled it for two weeks now beyond that it was in a Romanic language called French

"Little puppy" Alex responded, low enough so Feng couldn't hear it. While the "insult" wasn't overly funny in itself, seeing Feng getting completely crazy over something so ridiculously small _was_. Kara's laugh seemed to agree with him.

"What? What? What does it mean Kara?" Feng asked hopefully that he would get the answer.

"I'll tell you. Eventually. Perhaps next year or something." She said slowly, still chuckling.

"Nooooooooooooo." Feng dropped to his knees in a rather dramatic fashion. Alex was reminded of the famous Darth Vader scene. The similarities were astonishing.

Chuckling, everybody sat down at the table and began to eat or engage in conversation. Alex found himself as most meals with the wolves in the center of the attention.

Feng was happy he had someone he could discuss his crafts, techniques and weapons with and he had another man his age to drink, joke and laugh with.  
Kara was pleased Alex seemed to act mature and polite and was always interested in other cultures.  
Little Xia was just enthusiastic that she had someone special to play with.

Feng's jokes got louder and more vulgar as the evening progressed. While Alex found them fantastic, he didn't really dare to laugh as much as he wanted to. He had seen Kara's eyes narrow more and more with each minute passing and felt

"Feng, emperor's sake, how can I ever learn our daughter decent lady-like behavior when she has you for a father? You'll probably take her for a drunken brawling session in your forge before she's ten!"

"Woman, I never drunken brawl in my forge! Either I brawl drunken, I drink near my forge, or I brawl near my forge, but NEVER all three at the same time! That would be irresponsible and dangerous!"

"Irresponsible? Pray tell, how could any of those combinations _possibly _be irresponsible or dangerous?" Alex asked in a face and tone that could pass for innocent curiosity, but he did not succeed in fully hiding his sarcastic tone. A part in the back of his head told him desperately to shut up to avoid the bomb that was growing in Kara's anger to burst, but he was unable to resist. Taking one look at Feng's complete ignorance of his wife's growling was enough to tell him it was too late to escape her rage now.

"Well, you could melt a part of your body or your face on the forge, it's rarely cold and that would leave an enormous angry scar, your fur could be lit on fire, a limb could get stuck or crushed between the moving hammers, the rotating claw-works could get your intestines out of you belly come against a spinning one, the skin and flesh could be filed of in seconds by the grinder to the bone, and there's this very messy-

"FENG!"

"What?"

"YOU'RE SCARING YOUR DAUGHTER!"

"ME? WOMAN, YOUR SHRIEKING IS WHAT GIVES US NIGHTMARES!"

"WHY DID YOU DESCRIBE SUCH GRUELING THINGS NEXT TO HER? SHE'S A CHILD, FENG!"

"BETTER TO BE SCARED THAN THAT SHE STUMBLES INTO THE FORGE AND DOES SOMETHING STUPID! BESIDES, I WAS JUST ANSWERING A QUESTION!"

"WHICH WAS OBVIOUSLY A TASTELESS JOKE, YOU MORONIC HAIRY FLEEBAG!"

At this point Alex tuned out of the conversation, even though it was not evident to do that with the amount of decibels produced by the shouting match next to him. While slightly amusing to watch, it was just plain awkward to sit at the same table with the family that was suddenly having a big row. He saw the little cub next to him looking a bit lost –not really understanding what they were shouting about. She only knew that she didn't like it and that it scared her.

After some internal debating to either jump in and try to stop them, just sit back and not intrude on family business or try to talk to Xia and distract her, he decided he simply had enough. Xia didn't need to see her parents like this, she was too young to understand big stupid arguments simply happened sometimes. And frankly, he had had enough as well. So he simply stood up and made a gesture to catch Xia's attention who turned her big pleading eyes on him. Alex took the little fluffy girl in his arms and walked quickly away from the table, up the stairs and into the child's room. He gently let her down on her bed and closed the door. It didn't shut out the shouting downstairs though, it muffled it at best.

Turning towards to cub again, he saw she was on the verge of crying. Tears already leaked out. So he did the only thing he could think of : he sat down and gently laid his hand on her shoulder, pulling her a little bit closer against him.

"Hey, are you alright, Xia?" he asked in a hushed tone.

"Why are baba and mama so angry Alex? Did- did I do something wrong? What is happening?"

Alex let out a soft curse. He would certainly speak to the young parents after this. Screaming to each other how to raise a daughter regarding grueling details shouldn't be done in front of said daughter.  
"No Xia, you did absolutely nothing wrong. Your parents simply have a disagreement that they need to settle." He tried to reassure her.

"But if that's the only thing, than why are they so angry?"

"Sometimes people get a bit carried away Xia. I do not think your parents are truly angry at each other. It simply… escalated a bit. Your father didn't stop when your mother asked and your mother is a bit overreacting now. Everyone gets angry at each other every once in a while. Even the best of friends sometimes get in a row for a stupid reason."

"Then why didn't you stop them?"

"I- I do not think it was my place. Besides, if I had stopped it now, they might do it again later on. I think it is best to let them settle it themselves. Once they've calmed down, I'm sure they'll see how stupid it was to fight like this." Inwards, he found himself slightly uncomfortable at the pathetic excuse. Even though he thought it _was_ true and for the best and that it wasn't his business, he couldn't help but feel a bit guilty nonetheless for taking the cowardly way out. Not that he would let them know that.

"So mama and baba will stop fighting soon?"

"Oh yes, don't worry about it. Like I said, everyone fights sometimes. The part of realizing how stupid it is and making up afterwards is what makes good friendships. Do you think my parents never fought? Or my friends? Or the entire wars I used to have with my sister-"

He stopped abruptly. 'No, bad plan. Not going there. Xia doesn't need me to turn into an emotionally unstable wreck right now. Better distract her from all these explanations and just let her have some fun.'

"How about we do something in the meantime until your parents are done shouting? Do you want to play something?"

Her eyes lit up a bit. "Can you tell me a story?"

"A story? Huh, what kind of story?"

"Something about a brave girl who becomes a hero or something!"

Alex chuckled. The girl knew exactly what she wanted. And he had just the right story for her.

"Alright, I think I know one. My people have one story about a brave Chinese girl who supposedly saved all of China."

"Really?" Xia said amazed and ecstatic. She had already forgotten the diminishing shouts downstairs.

"Yes. It's about girl called 'Mulan'.  
Mulan was a girl from the Fa family. The Fa family were one of the more prominent families of their village. And Mulan was of an age where she would be able to marry. But Mulan didn't want to marry at all. Mulan was very active, and didn't really care for the activities of a supposed "lady". Which caused her family great distress. They were afraid Mulan would not be considered good enough for a good husband for her. But everything changed on one dark night, when the moon shone bright and on the great wall the beacons were lit. They were lit because the great and threatening enemy had started to invade China. These Huns were led by one very big and very scary man : Shan Yu."

Roughly twenty minutes later Alex looked a bit fondly at the cub that was now deep asleep. So cute and innocent. His head turned sharply when the door opened slowly. Two adult wolves stood a bit hunched over in the doorway.

"Go down, I'll follow" Alex whispered. They understood and after the cub was in her bed, covered by a light blanket he walked out and joined the two adults downstairs.

Said adults looked a bit ashamed, their gazes cast down to the ground. Alex waited for them to say something.

"Alex, I- We- We're sorry. You shouldn't have seen us like that and it was stupid to have such an intense fight over a small thing."

Alex let them wait a while before he responded. "You should be sorry. But don't apologize to me. Apologize to your daughter. First thing tomorrow. " he said a bit toneless. Then he had to give them his thoughts more harshly. He had always had a bit of a weakness for children and had been caring for his neighboors' children often enough.

"What on earth were you thinking, beginning to fight like that in front of your daughter? Did you know that she was starting to think it was her fault somehow? That you both were angry at her? I understand people fight over stupid things sometimes, that it cannot always be avoided. But as parents I expected you somehow to have the sense not to do it in front of your daughter, for god's sake!"

Both wolves were taken a bit aback by his berating. He hadn't shouted and his voice was kept tight, but his tone had a cold sharpness that made them flinch. He had never dropped the polite, respectful approach towards them before, afraid of rejection. But it needed to be said and he wasn't in the mood for soft hushing.

"How- how is she?" Kara asked in a small voice. Feng just looked down.

He resumed his normal, lighter voice. "She'll be fine. I distracted her with a story and she fell asleep shortly after. Just make sure that she knows it was a one-time thing, that it had nothing to do with her and all will be well, I think. "

That seemed to greatly comfort the parents and brought them back to their normal happy self. A bit too quick for Alex' liking, but he decided not to mention it. He was not their elder or advisor, he had no business berating them any longer. Nor would they appreciate it, and the fear of rejection was still present enough to take matters with caution.

With that he said his goodbyes, thanked them for the meal and retreated for some rest in his familiar cave. He ran there quickly, not wanting to be spotted by anyone. He did not want to lead anyone near his cave. Not even the wolf family. It was the one place in the valley that he truly felt safe, and he was not going to give up that small security.

* * *

Alex woke up in his cave as usual, the cool deep rock making for a quiet and protective sleeping place. The coolness was perhaps his greatest comfort. It was summer in the valley, and it was hotter than he was used to. While he wasn't about to moan and whine at the hot sun he _was_ very happy his sleeping and living place always had a fresh, cool temperature.

He stepped outside to take a dive in the natural pool in front of the cave. Another thing he was very grateful for. He was very sparingly with his soap. Whilst not as rare as say, during medieval Europe, it could still be considered a more luxurious product. That the pool allowed him to have a decent hygiene was a blessing.

Outside, it was oppressive, heavy weather. The air was heavy, burdensome and moist. Sweat almost instantly began to trickle on his forehead. He understood the signs correctly. Any confirmation he might have wanted came with a deep, booming thunder from the dark clouds.

A storm was approaching, fast. A typical tropical summer storm, most likely. Not too long, but very sudden and harsh. Until know the weather had been kind and calm, with a bit of soft rain sometimes in the night. It caused everything to stay so fresh and green in the valley. This storm however didn't look so pretty.

Hastily he retreated back inside his cave. The storm could be here in less than hour. With the speed the wind was getting it could just as well be half an hour. He constructed his tent properly in the back of the cave, on the highest point and secured it in place with a couple of heavy rocks. Then he put all his stuff and gear in it to keep it dry.

He thought for a moment and cursed. It was too late in the day because he mostly slept through it, and he wouldn't be able to cook something with this weather. Doing that in his tent wasn't a very bright idea either, the whole thing could catch fire and the cave wasn't deep enough for his liking. Water would probably come in and make it all impossible.

Ten minutes later he was running through the thick forest, his familiar grey backpack and emergency gear with him. Feng would probably hit him if he didn't have his bow and arrows with him so those were secured on his back as well. Using the straps on his backpack was much more comfortable than any other position.

Thunder was rumbling increasingly louder. The storm was approaching fast. He increased his rhythm once he crossed the river and the woods became more open. He wanted to be inside before the heavens broke loose and an ocean of water came pouring down. The winds were already hard enough.

Just when the clouds broke loose and the rain came smashing down he reached the familiar smithy. he stayed in the workplace for a moment, catching his breath. Then, out of security, like he did every time he left his cave or arrived at Feng's he used his sixth sense to check if the coast was clear. No one was nearby, beyond the familiar three presences of the wolves. Satisfied, he defied the storm by using a spare round metal shield from the smithy wall to defend himself against the aquatic attacks of the hurricane and dashed towards the front door.

Kara and Feng looked a bit surprised when they heard a couple of knocks coming from the door. Who in their right minds came through such a storm? Quickly opening the door, they saw Alex who was getting soaked.

"Alex, come in! What are you thinking, going outside in such bad weather?" Kara ushered the young man inside with a disapproving tone.

"I wasn't planning on it, but a part of my cave is lower and will most likely flood if it keeps storming. Otherwise the wind will already bring enough of the storm inside…" Alex' argument only brought forth a new wave of motherly worry.

"Your cave can flood? Ancestors, why didn't you tell us? You shouldn't live inside a cold and hard cave anyway, we told you you can use our spare room for as long as you want!"

"Kara, give him some time to breath, will you? Kid ran all the way here, let him catch his breath before you start your motherly tirade, no?" Feng noted with a grin from his seat by the fire, with Xia on his lap.

"Normally I would have no problems with my cave" Alex protested. "But the wind blows straight inside the entrance this time. My gear is packed on the higher spot in the back and while I could lie there too it would be a tight fit. Also, it would be near impossible to cook anything properly, and warm food is a comfort I didn't want to pass up right now. So I was hoping I could spend the duration of the storm here, or in the smithy if necessary…"

"Smithy, my word. Nonsense, you're more than welcome here anytime! Honestly, I'm glad you see some sense and stay here for a night in an actual bed inside an unhealthy cave!"

Alex wanted to continue to defend his trusted home. Honestly, it was clean, safe, packed with camping gear, and had a beautiful view. However, the cup of hot tea that was shoved in his hands was quickly deemed much more important than spending useless arguments.

"Alex, come on with me upstairs. I'll give you a spare set of clothing from Feng. It won't be a perfect fit, but it will do for a few hours, so your clothes can dry a bit and you can warm up. You already know which room is at your disposal. Alex thanked her profusely.

A bit later he found himself in dry, rough clothes. A simple brown short and greyish shirt held together by his own black leather belt. He hung his clothes over a chairs edge and put his bag on the side when he heard a strange, commanding voice downstairs. He used his sixth sense and found himself scared. He began to panic slightly, looking around him whether to jump out of the window and make a run for it, or await the confrontation with the one that had just entered.

He could clearly sense the presence of a tiger downstairs.

Roughly half a mile away, a tiger was cursing. Master Tigress had fought and chased some bandits away from the musicians village, as happened often enough. But the village was on one of the very borders of the valley and while she was returning to the jade palace she had be caught by the storm between two villages. She was getting cold, although she stubbornly refused to admit that to herself. There wasn't anywhere to hide or take shelter here. Her sight was reduced by the strong wind and it blew the rain harsh against her. She had no choice but to run as fast as she could on all fours to the palace and make some herbal tea to prevent sickness, but it was upwards and there were no shortcuts that were available going downwards.

She caught sight of a more solitary smithy and felt a bit of relief. Feng. She could rest there until the storm's intensity lessened. Feng and Tigress had a bit of an unspoken agreement.

Feng often gave Tigress extra information with identifying gear and weapons in search of criminals or missions, or new stuff to try out. The wolf had enough experience with recognizing nearly every type of metal, symbol and weapon in the entire Asian continent, or even the far Europe.

In return, Tigress had not mentioned anything about his few more unsavory years beyond the valley to anyone when it became clear he wanted a fresh start, away from his past.

What resulted was that after a period of tension they proved they could trust each other and treated each other more as equal friends in private rather than how his artisan class should defer to her Kung Fu Master status. That Feng and Kara treated her as a normal friend when not in public was something she secretly cherished. He was, in fact, her only actual friend outside of the five.

In quick strides she dug her claws in the wet earth and sprinted towards the door. She knocked with her heavy paw against the wood, and after some rumbling saw the face of a surprised wolf family.

"Master Tigress, what are you doing outside in the middle of a storm? Come in, come in!"

"I returned to the palace after dealing with a low bandit gang when the storm broke loose, Kara. Your house was nearby. Do you mind if I wait the storm out here?" she asked, while stepping inside, trying not to create a wet pool by the water that was dripping from her fur.

"N-No, no, of course not. Take a seat, and take some tea to warm you up! We've still left from our own pot and it's still hot." Feng responded.

Tigress nodded but already her trained in instincts begun to deduct the situation or irregularities.  
Feng had stuttered in his first word. He never did that, unless he was nervous. Like when either Kara or herself threatened him. Most of the times, when he was hiding something, like a bottle or weapon inside.

"You're stuttering, wolf. What are you hiding this time?" she asked with a hint of a smile that went unseen. Catching him hiding things from Kara was something she never could resist.

Feng did tense up considerably. So he _was_ hiding something. But from her side she saw something that she had not expected.

Kara had tensed up as well.

She didn't do that. By now, she should already have started to berate her husband or joined her in pressing Feng a bit to find out what ridiculous thing he did this time. That was all Tigress needed to know to confirm something was going.

"Feng, Kara, what is it that has you both so nervous?"

"It is nothing Master Tigress, don't worry about it." Feng tried to assure her.

"Are you certain it is nothing?" she pressed a bit.

"Just a bit tense with the storm, it's a big one, no? Xia has been a bit scared, if your cub is scared you always tense a bit up. It's a parent thing."

Tigress nodded slowly as if she bought it. All three knew it was a flat out lie and they knew the other one knew it too, but both Kara and Feng knew what it was apparently. If it was truly serious, they would have told her. If they commonly agreed, then it was perhaps just something private and not her business.

"Of course, I did not mean to pry."

"Ah, no harm done. But c'mon, you seriously need to warm up a little bit. Kara, could you get master Tigress here some tea?"

"Certainly, just let me get it of the fire."

Tigress breathed in deeply in an attempt to guess what kind of tea it was and the delicious smell of jasmine tea invaded her nostrils. Unfortunately, that was not the only thing she smelled. As most people knew, wet things smell much clearer. And barely sixteen minutes ago, a drenched Alex walked in the house and was currently changing clothes upstairs.

Immediately she jumped up and scanned her surroundings.

"Feng, he is here, isn't he? The same person that I was tracking and escaped me? This… 'Alex'" It was more a statement than a question. The smell came from upstairs.

She didn't wait for an answer as she jumped up the stairs faster than anyone could follow. She was faintly aware of Feng and Kara calling her to stop. She saw that the door of the spare room was not completely closed. She stepped inside, only to see the window stand open widely, allowing a bit of rain in. He had escaped her again.

She quickly scanned over his wet clothes. Strange pieces, and she was unsure of the material. The scent was strong on them. Neither bad nor good, but definitely strange and the same one she had tried to follow weeks ago

"Master Tigress, don't harm him, he has done no wrong!"

"I can't harm him Kara, seeing as he has already escaped the house before I entered the room." Only then it truly entered her mind. Feng and Kara had known about this mysterious savior for a while and kept it a secret.  
"You've known about him for a while now haven't you?" her tone was slightly accusatory. Why hadn't they told her? Feng knew she would want to know about someone who could escape her in a wounded state.

"We didn't hide it from you, per se. We haven't seen ye since he approached us and no one asked us whether we had seen him or not afterwards."

Tigress couldn't resist a snort. The "lazy" excuse wouldn't work.

Feng sighed. "Look, let's go down, have a cup o' tea and I'll explain the situation to ya, alright?"

Tigress nodded and followed the two wolves downstairs.

No one heard the relieved sigh that came from the cupboard next to the window.

* * *

"Alright, spill it Feng."

"Alright, when did it start? The evening after Xia was saved from that inferno I was at the wreckage wondering what exactly had happened and wondering if the one I owed my daughter's life to was actually alive, or if he was buried a horrible death beneath all that.  
On my way home, it was already dark, someone caught my attention from between the bushes. I'll admit I thought I was about to be robbed and mugged.  
But whoever it was, he simply wanted to talk, he said. So I asked him why he didn't show himself. To which he replied 'I may look different'. He asked me just for a chance to let him explain and not attack him for it. When I agreed he stepped out, and introduced himself as Alex."

"So he approached you in a solitary place in the dark to simply introduce himself to you?" she asked incredulously.

"Hang on, hang on, I'll explain in a bit. Just give me some time, will you?"

Tigress nodded and gestured to go on.

"So, he introduced himself and after confirming he was Xia's savior he immediately asked how she had come out of the whole ordeal and he was relieved when I told him she was alright."

"So he did actually care how you daughter was faring? I guess that's a good thing…" Tigress thought out loud.

"It's certainly a good thing. At any rate, he had come out perfectly fine, not a scratch so I took him to our home to meet with Kara because I really wanted to thank him."

"He wasn't completely fine, dear. His arm and shoulder were wounded and bleeding. You failed to notice back then as well." Kara noted.

"You know I'm not the most observant of wolves, love. Now, Alex was invited in and treated and explained his situation to us, if a bit vague. Apparently he is stranded here and very far from home, and has no easy way of returning home. He had been around the valley for a good month but was running out of supplies. He came to ask us for advice."

"Wait, why can't he return home? Is he banished or not allowed?"

"No, don't think so. He rather implied that his home was very far away and he didn't know how to return. He didn't like to talk about it much. But he didn't ask for advice on that very much. He asked if he could work a bit for me or for someone in return for fair pay and supplies. Food and the like."

"He asked for work?" Tigress repeated. Now that, she had not expected.

"Yup. When I told him he could have anything I could offer because I owe him a lifedebt he plainly refused it. What was it he said? Ah yes, he said his people didn't have the concept of a lifedebt and he could in good conscience therefor not really just accept one. That it was his own choice to put himself in danger. That he'd be grateful for any help, but he didn't want to be a burden and he'd rather earn it."

Tigress thought that over. Blatantly refusing a lifedebt was extremely insulting to some. It indicated that the life that was saved wasn't worth saving. If he truly refused to accept the lifedebt out of good conscience because he'd feel like taking advantage then that was a very honorable act.

She was aware of Feng's wording though. 'Alex' had not confirmed the lifedebt was sealed. So he didn't plan on using it but kept it open in case he truly needed it. And by seemingly not planning on using it he had a steady trust and gratefulness from the family. He had it already by saving their daughter, but now he would even have it after the lifedebt was sealed because he was a good person. It was very cleverly and opportunistically played while still acting in a good and honorable way, she had to grudgingly admit. She returned to the matter at hand.

"Why didn't you tell him to go to the Jade Palace then? He would have answered our questions and in return Master Shifu could have helped him in finding his homeland."

"Actually, I _did_ advise him on that."

"What, he flat out refused?"

"Uh, sort of?"

"Speak plainly, Feng. What do you mean?"

Feng sighed. He didn't really want to reveal all this about Alex. "You know I don't really like telling you all this. He didn't ask me to strictly shut up about it, but he did mention he would prefer me not to mention him… It feels as if I'm breaking his trust a bit here."

"If you simply explain in the most basic of terms I can at least understand why. I just need to know for the security of the valley, Feng." She didn't really want to press the wolves like this but she did feel like she needed to know. If he wasn't a criminal, which he didn't appear to be than what was there to be hidden so much?

"Oh, very well. He didn't want to because he didn't trust you all. He's a complete stranger in many ways. Apparently, he already tried to get normal contact in the villages, but he was shunned because he looks different. He didn't want to take the risk that you would think he was an enemy, simply because he's of a different kind of people. Add to that that the only time he met you was in front of an inferno and that you looked ready to interrogate him then and there and you get the idea, no?" Feng wisely did not say that he had insulted her and had fled from her glare of death. No need to remind her she had been insulted for slowing him down if it had slipped her mind.

Again, Tigress was surprised. And it did sort of make sense. If he indeed looked so different, the villagers would be unfamiliar with him and react distrustful and shun him for it. And she was distrustful of him at first too. Had he not done the right thing he was supposed to do? He had warned her that there were still people inside and she had just dismissed the idea because she was too focused on his strange posture and what she could make out of his looks in the dark. Oh, and because the mayor had given them false information too. _How _he had known that there were still children inside, and on which floors even was still questionable.

Perhaps it was not so unreasonable of him to not come knocking at the jade palace. And if he was such a stranger, perhaps the fame of her and the others as heroes had reached him less? And if he shunned the villages then he would not hear much of these stories either. He would be stuck in his own conclusions.

"Very well, you may have a point about why he didn't approach us. What else can you me about him? _What _is he exactly? Where does he stay? What sort of work does he then?"

"Let's see, he said his species was called humans. He mentioned staying somewhere on the border of the valley but nothing more specific other than that he lives alone, he values his privacy. He has been my assistant so far in woodworking and the smithy a few days each week. The kid is fantastic! He has so much knowledge, ideas and designs that he has me completely crazy for new stuff. Beyond that, I know that he gets in disagreements with bandits every so often and so far he hasn't been caught by them. He's a smart one, if anything." Feng simply couldn't hold back his glee when it came to the subject of his craft.

"And he's amazingly good with Xia. She loves to play with him and he never refuses her. Always patient, explaining things or telling stories. And he likes to think thinks over before he judges. We simply don't want to bring him in trouble because he is cautious. He doesn't like much attention." Kara added to her husband.

"I see." He didn't sound like a really bad person. He simple had a lot of unexplainable abilities or knowledge and tactics, while still appearing to be a decent and kind person who thought first and then acted accordingly, she analyzed.

How refreshing.

She blinked.

Unexplainable tactics, abilities, knowledge. A different code of honor and views upon everything, including possible morals. Truly unpredictable.

How dangerous.

"Very well. Could you tell him then that we want to speak with him? He is to come to the Jade Palace at the next moment he can after you tell him to."

Feng barked his laugh at her request.

"I will relay your message, but if you honestly think that you or I or anyone can make him go anywhere he doesn't want to be you're dead wrong. He's his own person Master Tigress. I don't think anyone could order him around if he doesn't agree with the order."

Tigress filed that information away, a bit moody. "Very well. The storm has blown over mostly, I have to return to Master Shifu. I'll see you around Feng, Kara."

She closed the door and returned to the palace. She was completely unaware that her entire conversation had been overheard by the very subject of it, who had simply remained in the cupboard. Or that Feng would be stuck laughing at for three hours straight.

* * *

"Inner peace. Inner Peace. Inner Peace. Inner Peace…"

An elderly red panda sat in his room repeating the same mantra. He had already mastered his inner peace shortly after the current dragon warrior, the much bigger panda, had defeated his adopted son. His greatest mistake. It finally put his fears to rest of the potential havoc and terror his greatest student could have unleashed upon the valley and China.

Even the Furious Five, arguably the greatest currently active Kung Fu team were swept aside with little difficulty by a Tai Lung who had been in a prison for twenty years without moving a single muscle _and_ had run more than a week nonstop at high speed after defeating an entire rhino army.

Then again, his achievements before his fall had been legendary already. He was the only one who had mastered all thousand scrolls, and only took roughly twenty years for it, childhood included. And fifty scrolls per year, barely a week to master an entire Kung Fu style! In terms of power, talent and skill, the snow leopard could very well have turned out to be the greatest Kung Fu master of all times.

The rumors of the dragon scroll had spoken of unlimited and un-equaled power. How could he _not_ have thought his son to be the future dragon warrior, even if he discarded the thoughts of his natural pride as a father? How could he not have been destined for greatness?

Oh, he had been. He had done great things. He had been a true hero once. But his greatness had only fueled his pride which resulted in arrogance. The arrogance that had destroyed so much. The arrogance that took Shifu's son and caused his fall.

The was the reason why he always said "humbleness is the true sign of a warrior". He had seen what mere arrogance and pride had resulted into.

And now he found himself finding rest in his familiar mantra, that finally gave him the rest he had sought for so long.

"inner Pea…"

" Master Shifu!" someone shouted while slamming his door aside. His sensitive ears could hear the wood crack in protest.

"Tigress, what is so urgent that you see the need to almost smash my door to bits during my meditations?" the slightly annoyed red panda asked.

That set her a bit back. She quickly bowed, a bit ashamed. But not enough to stop whatever was so urgent.

"Master Shifu, I have discovered more about the stranger that saved Feng's daughter from the burning house a couple of weeks ago!"

That peaked his curiosity. He had been as interested for information as Tigress for the mystery of the stranger. He had simply been more convinced that if it truly needed to be explained, it would do so itself in time.

"Really? What have you found out?" he asked, previous annoyance forgotten.

"He is indeed a young man called Alex. He is of a species that is called 'humans'. He has been living somewhere on the border of the valley. Where, I do not know. However, he has come into friendly contact with Feng's family and works occasionally for him as an assistant. For some reason, he is unable to go home."

"That is indeed interesting. Human you say? Hmm, I've never heard of a human before… I'll have to look through the scrolls and archives to see what I can find on them. What was your impression of him?"

"I did not actually met him." She said with a slight scowl. "I found his smell and confirmed that he had been staying at Feng's house. According to Feng he is honorable, has many talents and much strange knowledge but he wasn't really forthcoming."

"Why wasn't he forthcoming? I was under the impression you were friends and Feng regularly gave information on weapons."

"Feng felt he was breaking Alex' trust. For some reason Alex doesn't want to be known and asked Feng not to mention him. I have told him to relay a message that we desire to speak to Alex and that he has to come to the Jade Palace. Feng said he would relay the message but he feels neither he nor anyone else wouldn't be able to order Alex to do anything he wouldn't want to do anyway."

"Interesting. We already knew he had to have different abilities or knowledge and that he was intelligent. Otherwise, he would never have been able to save those younglings from the burning house or lose you while you were tracking him."

Tigress scowled again, slightly. That he managed to make her lose the trail like that, while he was even wounded for ancestors sakes, still hit a sore spot. And that he escaped her now again was no coincidence. It was one of her motivations why she wanted to find this human now, if only to solve the riddle so it didn't happen again.

"He is also the one who is at least partly responsible for lowering the bandit-attacks. I mentioned last week that they were lower than average, which doesn't make sense since it is not difficult to know most of us have not been in the valley. I would have expected them to all try their chances now.

"He has lowered the bandit attacks? How did he do that?" Shifu asked surprised.

"My guess is he doesn't wait until the bandits actually attack and the alarm is signaled but actively causes chaos in amongst their camps and ranks. Probably at night, or when they least expect it so he doesn't have to engage them in open combat. That way he makes them unable to properly function but doesn't put himself in too much danger."

"Interesting, very interesting. It is perhaps a good thing he did, otherwise it might have ran out of control. Very well, I suppose there is not much we can do anyway. If he will come, we will have our answers. Otherwise, they will come eventually. If Feng's words are true he's likely to be encountered again sometime. If anything, he has given me an excuse to organize the elder archives again. It has been far too long since that happened. Thank you, Tigress."

Tigress bowed to her master and made her way to the barracks, but was stopped by Shifu's voice.

"Tigress, go and make yourself some herbal tea. You could use it after such a storm."

* * *

Alexander was excited. He was almost on the entirely different border of the valley, on the southeastern side. His cave was in the northwest, near those higher mountain peaks. Those peaks were nearly impassable for anyone with numbers or with carts. There were no roads. It was the sole reason that specific part of the valley was uninhabited and wilder.

The only downsides were the fact he was indeed so alone. He could get no help, and even Feng was a nearly five-mile run further. He could reach it a thirty minute span by know, now that he knew the paths but it still left him exhausted to do it so fast.

But now, now he was in the south. He maneuvered carefully between the lush bamboo forests. There many more roads here. And more people. It was an ideal place to learn more of the valley's typical trade, how the roads functioned and what sort of travelers he could expect or had to watch out for. Most were simple trader folk, with their carts. There were guard patrols every once in a while, and the messengers, either of the empire, or of independent messenger organizations.

And of course there were the vague and shady types. He specifically marked those types down, to learn how to identify them quicker in the future and what their general habits and traits were.

Of course he wasn't so foolish as to come unarmed. This place was simply crawling with bandits. Here was the main trade line with the valley after all.

He hadn't taken his backpack with him. Too large. Rather, a large waist bag with extra side pockets, and a spare small one attached to his back and arrow-quiver. The Reason he was wearing them rather than his backpack was so to stay light on his feet and to avoid to be seen. Carrying his bow was enough of a hassle without worrying of keeping a backpack quiet.

His eyes glued to the road he soon enough found a sigh that greatly interested him when it was getting nearly dark with a red and orange sky and he was preparing to depart for his cave again. A snake and a crane bird walking (or slithering) towards the valley. With his binoculars he observed them carefully. A green tree viper with dark patterns and two small lotus flowers behind her head (he briefly wondered how they stayed in place, and whether she had glued them in place or not) and a black-necked crane with a classical rice hat.

And now he had seen two more members of the Furious Five. It looked like the time were he was safe from discovery was drawing to an end. Until now, it had only been Master Tigress who had been in the Valley, besides Shifu, but that guy rarely got outside the Jade Palace. He would not actively seek for Alex. But Tigress barely had searched for him because of her sole responsibility of keeping the valley secure of bandits and had still gotten frighteningly close. If she had heard his hearth beating like crazy last time with Feng there would have been no telling to how she would have reacted.

It was one of the reasons he actually got in his confrontations with bandits so regularly. He did kind of sought them out. She alone, could not be everywhere at once and could not stop all the bandits. The few guards present were frankly worthless and the people would cower and do nothing. By causing chaos in the bandit camps he gave her a bit of breathing room and there were less bandits in his area to discover his cave. Win-win situation. Well, if you discounted the fact that they sort of wanted to kill you if you attacked them. But most bandits had, with the exception for the leaders still the collective intelligence of a rock and could easily be intimidated by lights, tricks and chaos.

And now the other two most disciplined had returned as well. He had no illusions that the other thee would arrive soon too. Po was unlikely to stay away very long from his adoptive father. A future confrontation, or several, were unavoidable. He dreaded it. What if they would attack like the villagers had? They would probably kill or incapacitate him in a matter of seconds, probably breaking some of his bones in the process. His only chance was that they either were more open-minded and intelligent than all the villagers combined, or that they were so secure in their fighting skills they would not see him as a threat until he actually did something and thus give him a chance to gain their trust.

The only way to really avoid them was to get away from the valley and that was no option until he found a way home. He still needed access to the jade Palace library. If there was such a thing where he could get actual information, it would be there. And here he had Feng, Kara and Xia. Outside he had no one. And the five and Po were heroes, on the good side. Souls of platinum and all that. That had to count for something, no?

He was snapped out his thoughts when he felt his sixth sense tingling. There were more creatures present than just the two masters and him. Alex let out a hushed sigh and knew what was coming. Those bandits would be in an awfully large number, even for two masters. He could start shooting them from his hiding place in the backs. He reckoned he take out five, six before they'd find him.

And then they would most likely kill him. And even if they didn't, he could be branded murderer and executed for it. Not a good plan.

The other option was the walk away now and let them deal with it. A very attractive option, come to think of it.

No, those two were completely unaware. They had no warning, nothing. They carried no riches. Those bandit's weren't just bandits. They were either here to kill them and severely upset the complete security of the entire province, or they would try to capture them ransom or to make sure they couldn't interfere somewhere else. Kill wasn't very likely. He could sense -and smell- the boars and crocodiles from here. Neither boars nor crocodiles were elite assassins. Capture or delay, thus. So they were most likely simply overambitious or working for someone else. Probably both.

He suddenly had an idea. An amazingly stupid idea that would almost certainly get him in the thick of the fight and result in his death. But if it worked there would be no fight at all, and he could present himself very good to the two masters. That was an amazing potentially good result. He would just have use the approaching dark and to act very brave _and_ very sure or stupid the next minutes.

And he really hoped that those bandits were stupider than his plan.

Crane and Viper had had a very successful couple of weeks behind them. They went to help in an outer series of villages and had completely stopped the raids and all the smugglers that were behind it. A perfect mission. To top it off, they had the entire way back for themselves, undisturbed. They could freely enjoy their relationship since master Shifu had let them -oh so subtly- know that he was aware of their relation and that as long as it didn't interfere with their training and responsibilities they could do as they pleased.

That was until almost thirty bandits jumped on them. They hadn't attacked yet but they knew out of experience they were in deep trouble. The bandits didn't seem so talented, but were making up for it with sheer numbers. And they were in a serious disadvantage by not sensing the ambush at all. To make matters worse, they had nets. Crane couldn't just fly away.

Just when they were about to just fight a number of bandits, and both Crane and Viper simply stood still in surprise, their jaws a bit slacked. The source of this was a single cloaked figure who came, armed with a bow and an arrow pointing at the leader walking almost in an overconfident nonchalant manner towards them and shouted loudly "If you all would kindly sod off I would be very appreciative!".

Both Crane and Viper, and several of the bandits did not comprehend how one person, armed or not, could be so stupid.

Thirty bandits, all armed. The two masters in severe disadvantage. And the guy stood there utterly alone without a care, arrow still pointed towards them and continued as if he had an army behind him.

"Are all boars and crocodiles utterly deaf? I told you to sod off. Both 'sod' and 'off' are only three letters, even your types should be able to comprehend that number."

"Just who do you think you are, to dare to command me on your own?" the crocodile leader sputtered. ''Fung', Crane thought. Never figured he would work together with someone, let alone boars. Then again, he has a point, that guy is utterly crazy and is going to get himself killed.' The next answer however, surprised him a bit.

"Who I think I am? I'm the captain of a force whose thirty-five bowmen are, at this very moment trained towards you. If you take an offensive action now, you will all be dead before you can take two steps. So I'm giving you a chance to live, by sodding of now."

"Wait, there are thirty-five bowmen 'ere?" "Where?" "They are hiding between the trees in the dark!" "We stand no chance against thirty-five!" and many more mutterings began to sound.

"EVERYBODY, SHUT UP!" Fung shouted. "He's obviously lying."

"Lying? How stupid are you? Do you really think I would just have walked up to you and your twenty-eight other scoundrels on my own if I did not have the men to back me up? Just who do you take me for? I'm a captain you idiot!" the figure responded in an incredulous tone, as if he could not believe Fung really came to such a conclusion.

"Damn, he's right!" "No one is tha' stupid." "I knew this job was a bad one from tha start." "If we run know, do ye think they would still shoot us?" "He's right, no one would walk up alone against us all!" the muttering became half-shouts.

"How do I know you're still not lying?" Fung asked again, still suspicious, while the boar-leader was desperately trying to get the men back under control..

"Very well, if you're truly that stupid I'll prove it to you. You see on your right side are two groups of seven and eight men, each led by their corporals. We have bright lights to communicate with us. Corporals four and five, could you give this idiot here a signal that you both actually exist so they will not squander their lives because their inability to flee for their lives?"

It was utterly quiet for a moment and exactly seven seconds later two small but incredible bright white lights began to shine.

"Oh shit, they are really 'ere!" "And tha' first three are still 'ere somew'ere too!" "I don't wanna get shot." "That's it, I'm out of 'ere!" "Save yerselves!" "Run fo' yer lives!"

Ten seconds later the lights ceased giving light but only Fung was still standing on the road.

"Oh dang, now it's three versus me, isn't it?"

"Thirty-eight versus you. Did you already forgot my thirty-five men, just because they ceased their light signal?"

That was more than enough to make the leader flee as fast as his little legs could carry him as well.

Viper and Crane couldn't really do anything but just be astonished. One moment they were completely surrounded and the next a captain of a hidden force scurries them all away by saying a couple of intimidating phrases.

"I don't know who you are stranger but you and your men have our most sincere thanks for your timely rescue." Viper exclaimed happily. Crane just hoped these weren't even worse. He hated arrows with a passion.

But both were stunned again when the tall stranger just fell to the floor with shaking knees and began to laugh hysterically –albeit with a nervous edge.

"P- Please d- don't tell me you are as stupid as those bandits!" he got out between some breaths when he tried to regain his posture and failed by just continuing to laugh.

"What do you mean, you did rescue us right? Or is this just a more professional murder party?" Crane asked a bit aggravated.

"You- you- mean to tell m-me, you really bought that as well? You really think I have an entire force here under my command?" Their shocked expressions brought forth a new wave of hilarity.

"You mean to tell us, the entire thing was nothing but a trick? A lie? That you are just here alone, and no one else is between those trees?"

"Indeed! One of the best bluffs I have ever played in my life!" the stranger sighed happily, still having trouble to stifle his laughter.

"But what about those lights? How did you do that?" Viper couldn't help but ask.

"Merely a timed light-trick. I attached a piece of rope to a small strip of magnesium and placed in the branches before I lit to ends of the ropes on fire. It took roughly two minutes for the flame to reach the magnesium, which gave a chemical reaction into the bright white light that you've seen. I used those two minutes to get in place and already intimidate them into the possibility while timing it off. Twenty seconds before the mark I called out to the supposed 'teams' to give a light while still talking."

Crane had never been so stunned since he had seen Po bounce around after master Shifu threw him around the training hall while Mantis and Monkey were taking bets. It had been a sight to behold. This guy had just, with nothing more than pure luck and a bit of talking, executed the stupidest plan he had ever heard of into one of pure brilliance.

"That was the stupidest idea I have ever heard of." He slowly said. It seemed to amuse the 'captain' to no end.

"Exactly! It was far too stupid for anyone to actually do, which is why it worked. By calling the mere possibility that I was standing there alone and that I was bluffing incredibly stupid they believed it. No one calls their own plan stupid in front of their enemies. I counted on that. The whole success came by nothing more than my false over-confidence. Even if I was there alone, no one would have gone so confidently and arrogantly with it as I did because it would be so stupid."

"Although I have to add that I was reckoning on the fact that those bandits were incredible stupid. If they had wanted to be captured as proof it would have blown up in my face." He added.

"Strange as your plan was, it still worked and you spared as a difficult fight that caught us unaware. We're still grateful."

"You're very welcome, Master Viper."

"Tell me, from where are you? I'm not familiar your accent. Actually I'm not familiar with anything about you. Just who are you?" Crane asked, now truly curious.

"I come from lands very far away, Master Crane. As for who I am, people call me Alex most of the times. I suppose that will do. If you want more information on what and how then you'd better find Master Tigress, she has recently uncovered a lot about my identity. Now, I apologize for cutting this short, but I truly need to return to my temporary home. I wish you both a fine evening."

With that Alex disappeared between the trees leaving behind two stunned Kung Fu Masters.

"Well, whatever type of welcome I had expected, it wasn't that." Crane dryly remarked.

* * *

"Tigress, come in. I have found something interesting concerning this human."

"What is it master?"

"Take a look yourself" he said while gesturing to an old tome.

Tigress observed it. It was thick, dusty and old. The title read _'Lost Wonders : Volume Two.'_ The description below offered more information. _'Creatures and Beings of legends, Myths and Folklore.'_

"Turn to page eighty-seven."

Tigress did as asked and soon found the right page. It took her a bit of difficulty to read it, since it was an older form of mandarin script that was rarely used these days. The book had to be centuries old perhaps. When she successfully began to read however, her eyes opened wide and she was stunned.

_Concerning Humans : _

'_Humans are a very strange animal species who seem closest towards the family of the primates, but even then vastly differ from them. They walk very straight, and their bodies have evolved in such a way for a completely bipedal posture. They stand between five and six foot tall. (Supposedly, the term 'foot' as a measurement came from the length of their feet, which are flat to give them more balance.) They have often little to no fur at all, except on their heads.  
Humans seem physically not much of a threat because they lack decent claws or teeth, but should not be underestimated once they get an advantage. _

_Humans are a very contradictory and almost impossible to predict as a species. Where almost any species in general has some specific personality traits, like the temperamental tiger, or the serene turtle this is not the case with humans. If you put six humans in a room, and present them with a situation, you would most likely get six entirely different opinions and reactions. _

_Their main strength comes undoubtedly from their intelligence. The very first form of civilization was in fact created by humans, and many of the everyday things we use today, are of their creations and concepts. Candles, baskets, carts, mechanisms, clothes, terms, even trade and some laws seem to have been based on what they created before any other. Our lore says the dragons gave us the means and knowledge to do it, but how this is in relation to human crafts that date before our time is unknown. Some of their works should still exist in a few remnants of ruins scattered in the wilderness. Because of this some people call them, the ones who came before. For a while, they were even depicted as the manifestations or messengers of the gods or the dragons. _

_The best proof of their early advancements and existence is actually the base of a city on which Shanghai has been built. The area of the emperor has barely changed over time because its foundations are set upon the very center of one of their cities. A few unexplainable chambers have been found once below current Gongmen City as well, but they have been destroyed to make place for new basements._

_Around the time animals began to truly live in a society and civilization like today's, something happened which caused all but a few humans to disappear, along with their ruling society. Those few who remained lessened in the next generations, until they were hunted down and made extinct by emperor Hun Siotamo, almost 1700 years ago. No human has been sighted with proof since then in Asia or any known other place in the world. While their existence has officially been called a myth there is too much proof to just ignore. Theories vary greatly between an exodus to an unknown part of the world, war, a disease that only affected their kind, the wrath of the gods and dragons they turned away from or that they ascended towards another place or world.'_

_- Historian and researcher Sun Tze_

Tigress sat there, a bit baffled at the information load she just received. Thousands of questions began to whirl through her mind. She was only snapped back to the present by her master's voice.

"I think that this human has just become a bit more interesting."

* * *

_Alright, to make up for the wait, here is a long chapter (13,7K+ on words, phew, as long as half the story is until now) and things are finally moving more forwards in the story!_

_There's the business with Thundering Rhino and The five and Po are finally in the valley and know of Alexander, and Tigress and Shifu are in research mode. Any questions, suggestions or remarks? Let me know!  
I intend to explore the possibilities of humans in the KFP universe further, including some legendary past that I can make up along the way. Writing invented history is pretty fun actually, even if it is a lot of brainstorm/edit work to make it sound somewhat believable… _

_It's currently five in the morning here, so I might do another editing phase later on, but now I just want to post this thing. This chapter took endless._

_Just to clear something up : the main is called Alexander James Jenssen (duh), but the citizens of the valley come to know him as Alex. Therefore, in their company he is referred to as Alex (even in all-present perspective), but in private viewpoint or that of those who already knew him more often as Alexander. _

_Again, thank you for reading, and please leave a review. _

_- Winterarrow_


End file.
